my French Macaron journey, and the inspiration behind it (^_^)

le Macaron.

kenangan entah kali ke 3 dengan kali ke 4 buat kut, out of entire batch tu yang ada rupa sebanyak atas piring tu je la haha sedehhhh... ;P tapiii...shell chocolate tu addictive woi sangat sedap dikunyah begitu sahaja

*sigh*

macam susah je, macam leceh je...haha nak jugekk ber'macam..macam..' mula tu ingat kan apa ke benda la macam comel macam kiut ni...rupanya wabak video baru, almaklumlah duk benua lain lambat sikit nak catch up naik ketapi ;P

anyway, macaron.

dulu memang tak suka pun nak makan, tapi anak bertuah saya ni la suka bebeno.

dia memang. benda kiut, colorful, pastu manis harus la suka. semua orang tau la kut bila cakap pasal macarn je seram sejuk nak buat. memang leceh. they are really cerewet, finicky little cutie.

lepas tu siap challenge mama lagi;

mama....buat la macaron lagiii...mya sukeee....seddapp sangat!
mama dah buat la mya tapi tak jadii....huhu...
mama, take ipad...kan? mama bukak la video dekat youtube tu..then mama learn la dengan anty tu. learn sampai pandai okey mama?

erk. betul jugak tu kan. awat la mama ni sengal sangat ek? tak terfikir lak nak belajar betul2 dengan acik youtube (-_-')

lantas dengan papa yang out of town ada course kat London for 3 days, terus ting! datang idea nak spend masa lapang yang tak payah masak dengan register kelas macaron one-to-one dengan acik youtube.

semangat prepare bahan sume. papa belum masuk teksi dah kuarkan bahan. teksi gerak je terus trrrrrrr....on mixer membancuh. haha macam tu la penangan ketagihan macaron ni, berhantu sungguh. malam sebelum tu siap bersengkang mata stadi banyak2 video tau. tengah tido mimpi pun nampak gula dengan almond. ;P

untuk kelas pertama;
guna resepi Beth's Foolproof Macaron, full recipe kena klik 'Show More' dekat 'About' okey.

hasil eksperimen adalah seperti berikut:

rupa ada tapi tak perfect, sebab batter agak kering, dry ingredients punya sukatan sangat banyak okeh. 2 cawan icing sugar kau...pastu telur putih 2 biji, ahkak pulak main ambik je telur tak check saiz large ke free range punya. rasakan la sampai lenguh nak mengacau sebab berat. kesimpulannya, secara teori mungkin tak jadi sebab pakai telur saiz medium, plus suhu oven yang tinggi. tapi nak try pakai telur besar with the same recipe dah tak boleh sebab icing sugar dah nak habis. so kita teruskan uji kaji dengan resepi ke-2 okey.

sangat tak cantik, naik menggelembung and over baked.

kelas kedua dengan acik youtube and resepi baru:
kali ni guna resepi lain, as noted below from yumsugar.com. kali ni guna egg whites from large eggs, tak sempat nak aged ka putih telur tu pun, habis cuci mixing bowl from the first batch terus start resepi ni, again suka sebab pakai sukatan cawan. dasarrrr...hahaha...

hasilnyaa....

the moment where saya terjoget2

sekarang cuaca sangat sejuk, walaupun sejuk kering tapi kalau nak bukak tingkap untuk salai cik macs ni mau beku dengan tuan dia sekali. so beginilah ye panaskan oven kejap, tutup thenletak di jemuran cam ni.

esok bangun pagi terus mula projek lagi, 3rd batch guna resepi yang sama (^_^)

this time buat a hint of yellow for lemon curd macaron. err...nak cakap guna coloring apa untuk dapat kaler kuning cair tu pun sogan, pendek kata kalau org french tau ni mau amukan, offended terus bahaha..dah itu je yang den ado dik non..belasahhh...

still sukses! yeayy...suka suka..

ada a few steps yang penting to get perfect tau, the meringue and proses kacau batter to get the right consistency (macaronage - you just have to know when to stop beating), then the drying process and finally suhu oven aka the baking.

for the first two key points above, I found another video that can be helpful =)

check it out okeh, how stiff to beat the egg whites and the perfect consistency for the batter. dah la suara comel. bukti kalau takde gadget or flashy mixer bukan alasan untuk tidak membaking sebab adik suara comel ni pakai hand whisk old skool je ;)

once you got the hang of it, given trusted recipes and reliable oven, insya Allah jadi.

and mannn, it is addictive to bake this thing! ketagihan makin menebal the moment macaron menjadi dengan comelnya, terjoget-joget sengsorang tak sedar jiran ada kat luar, which happen memang kenal sebab anak dia satu sekolah dengan mya. cis..nasib baik ko jiran jauh sikit.

ah lantak, macaron dah jadi! yippiee!!

but harus diingat, with macaron beginners luck is almost impossible. it took me about 6 to 7 attempts (first time buat kt msia failed miserably, buat kelam kabut and nak cepat) to get it right. pastu bila buat tak jadi bukan nak buat notes ke apa kan. merasa la kau membazir ground almond dengan icing sugar. nasib baik la ground almond tu tak mahal kat sini, kalau kt msia tu tercekik gak la nak bayau...
bila tak jadi lagi la sakit hati kan.

kadang tu batter consistency dah okey, tapi suhu oven lak buat hal. ikut jenis oven masing-masing la kan, with mine guna suhu 140C around 14-16 minutes baking will be perfect.

kesimpulannya, kena rajin buat research and tengok vidoe kat youtube.
although you might end up feeling more confuse lepas dah baca banyak2 resepi. confusing confusing...

 

but when you get right, its worth it kan? Lemon Curd and Raspberry Macaron =)

sumber inspirasi mama untuk bermacaron, tapi dia cakap lepas ni mama have to go to the baking shop, to learn some more. haiya this cinonet customer ah....

NOTA PENTING:
1. use LARGE EGGS with this recipe okey dahlings, it work for me and trust me you dont want to end up with dry mixture, I've been there. not good.

2. For first timer, use powdered food coloring if you want to add color. Letak sekali masa ayak together icing sugar dengan almond meal ye.


BASIC FRENCH MACARON
Source: www.yumsugar.com

INGREDIENTS

2/3 cup almond meal or ground almonds
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 large egg whites at room temperature and preferably aged up to 3 days (i dont aged mine, egg whites are easier to be separated when its still cold, then just leave the whites to room temperature)
5 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (yang ni saya tak letak)

1/4 teaspoon serbuk pewarna merah (yang ni tambah sendiri, ayak sekali dengan icing sugar dan ground almond tu)

DIRECTIONS

The basic meringue-style French macaron is merely the springboard for your wildest color and flavor combinations. Try adding a teaspoon of Dutch-process cocoa and red gel food coloring for a red velvet macaron, or a 1/4 teaspoon rose extract and pink gel food coloring for rose. Always add the dry flavorings to the almond meal/powdered sugar mixture and the extracts/gel color to the meringue.

1. Preheat the oven to 280º and position two racks in the lower section of the oven. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. If you have time, draw 1-inch circles on the back of each sheet, spacing the circles at least 1/2-inch apart. (I just start to preheat the oven lepas dah siap pipe semua shells and sementara tunggu shell kering, kalau nak cepat letak dalam oven suam dengan pintu oven terbuka atau salai bawah kipas, kat sini kipas nan ado)
2. If your almond meal is very coarse, grind it with the powdered sugar in a food processor until fine. Sift the almond meal-powdered sugar mixture twice through a mesh sieve.
3. Place egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a hand mixer) and begin to beat on medium-high. When the eggs are frothy, gradually add granulated sugar one tablespoon at a time until fully incorporated. Continue to beat the egg white mixture until glossy and stiff peaks form when you lift the beaters. (kalau terbalikkan mangkuk meringue tak jatuh and puncak meringue tu elok terpacak tak bengkok, get it? haha kalau tak faham refer video okey ;P )
4. Gently stir in the vanilla extract. Be careful to not overbeat the meringue (e.g., the meringue takes on a clumpy texture).
5. Add half of the sifted almond mixture and gently fold it into the meringue using a flexible silicone spatula. Lift from the bottom, up around the sides, and toward the middle, being careful to not overagitate the meringue and lose too much air. Once the almond mixture is predominantly incorporated, add the second half and repeat the folding motion.
6. When the almond mixture is just incorporated, you will need to transform the batter into the appropriate texture. Using the flat of the spatula, "punch" down into the center of the batter, then scrape more batter from the sides to the center, and punch again. You will need to repeat this 10-15 times (or more, depending on your arm strength and the beginning texture of your batter) until the batter slowly and continuously drips back into the bowl when you scoop it up with the spatula. Think of the consistency of molten lava. (refer to the youtube video for the right consistency okey, this process is called 'macaronage', undermixed - cracked macaron; overmixed - no feet and spreading macaron). For the best results, punch the batter a few times, check the consistency, then punch a few more times, etc. Do not make the batter too runny or the macarons won't rise as they should, and you could end up with oil stains on the surface.
7. Pour batter into a pastry bag fitted with a 0.4-inch tip. In a pinch, you can also use a gallon size Ziploc bag: just snip a teeny bit from one of the bottom corners. Twist and clip the top of the bag to avoid overflow. On your prepared baking sheets, pipe out 1-inch rounds in the circles you drew (remember to draw the circles on the back side of your parchment to avoid ink or pencil stains on your macarons!).
8. Holding the baking sheet in both hands, rap each baking sheet firmly on the counter two or three times. This smooths out the tops and helps form the "pied" or frilly foot on the bottoms of the macarons. Allow the piped macarons to dry, uncovered, for at least 15 minutes. The macarons should form a very thin, smooth crust where, if you tap it lightly with your finger, the batter will not stick to your finger. If after 15 minutes, the batter is still sticky, let it dry longer. This may take up to an hour on humid days.
9. Place both baking sheets in the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes. After the first 2 minutes, open the oven to allow any excess humidity to escape. Halfway through, swap oven racks and rotate the sheets for even baking. (yang ni saya tak buat, just bake one tray each even though my oven is fan assisted, 140C for up to 10 minutes, kalau still underdone tapak macaron melekat baru lah tukar position tray, rotate depan ke belakang then tambah lagi masa baking for another five minutes. Nak senang pakai silicone baking mat like Silpat)
10. The macarons are done when they are baked all the way through and the shells are just hard. Take care to not underbake (insides will still be mushy) or overbake (tops will begin to brown). Remove them from the oven, and cool on baking sheet placed on a wire rack.
11. When fully cooled, assemble the macarons with your choice of filling. The assembled macarons can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Makes about 4 dozen macaron halves (about 2 dozen complete macarons).

my first humble, home made wedding cake

two blocks of three-layer 8" square cake, more than 4 kilos Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting.

i must say its going to be the first and the last lor. haha. dah masuk proper class nanti baru la berani nak buat untuk orang lagi. very the comot this cake!

my sil lah yang beria suruh buatkan untuk her sister's wedding. reason being, nak yang home made dan sedap dimakan, boleh dinikmati oleh semua orang. yes, fondant cakes looks far more elegant, all weddingy and million times better in terms of appearance, but truth is not many people going to eat that fondant layer right? bukannya sedap pun manis je,sickingly sweet and selalunya tak habis dan buang je lepas potong sebab the cake itself pun normally not taste nice, all dry and crumbly. harga boleh tahan mahal tapi tak makan, buat apa kan?

itu kata beliau lah. si tukang order aka kakak pengantin pun memang crazy dengan rvc, and i did tell her sure ke ni? you do realize it got cream cheese kan? sure meleleh punye nak bawa balik kampung ke Maran nun.

dan yang paling takut sekali, dengan confidentnya diorang takde order kek official lain, i mean, order la kek fondant kecik sebijik yang cantik kan? kan? aduh, buatnya kek aku bantat ke, terpeleot dalam kereta ke pengsan ahkak!

lapor diri hari Khamis, so i got 3 days to cari bahan, kotak polisterine jual ikan, soem fresh flowers to cover it up, beli dry ice, bake and frost the cake. the wedding is on Saturday. secretly ada gak rasa excited bila ada 'project' nak buat. weeeee....

cream cheese je 2 kg, kau bayangkan la senah! mau berasap hand mixer...haha seriously! tengah beat cheese tu mak cakap eh apa bau asap ni? ha'ah la kan entah2 si mixer ni kut? alamak shian ko kan mixer sabar eh.

sekali tengok ada orang bakar sampah kat luar. cis! sabar je ada background asap rupanya. -_-'

my plan is nak guna chocolate cigarellos, you know yang chocolate cigars tu made from chocolate ye not biscuit thank you. punya la susahhhh sangat nak survey barang kt msia ni kan? semua info dalam web site pun tak update. sheeshh. konon berangan la nak kek yang elegan, plus tak yah pening nak cantikkan pahagian kek tu kalau comot ye tak?

 *pics taken from here 

ni dia white chocolate cigars cake, very elegant, vintage and simple sangat. suka suka suka. nak beli kat msia ada tapi cam mahal sangat, sekotak ada 100++ pieces about rm100++ jugak. mana cukup sekotak. lupakan saja, bukankah motif asal nak jimat kos tapi kek sedap?

and i forgot all the important factor; malaysia ni kan negara panas cik kak oii...

dah siap buat frosting, eh time to pick up mya la pulak. siap cover the frosting bowl then letak dalam bilik bukak air cond.

balik ambik mya, bawak gi beli beg sekolah baru then sambung main krim. alamak krim cam dah kembang la not so smooth anymore. gulppp.roses kat bahagian sisi tu mencair sikit, tak melekat langsung dekat kek tapi ku tenyeh juga. uwaaaa...comotnyerrr...sob sob...

kek oh kek, dah comot gini mintak-mintak la kau sedap.

 

masuk dalam kotak kek, then lapik dengan hugeeee black plastic bag, put inside the kotak polisterine jual ikan tu, letak dry ice and fingers cross it will stay like that until tomorrow, the pick up day.

sangat risau bila kek tu dalam perjalanan balik kampung,  the whole box is super heavy and sooo big! imagine la cream cheese je 2 kg, malam tu agak-agak depa dah sampai i texted my sil, asking for the cake, selamat ke tak. phew! haha bukan tanya eh korang ok ke driving malam? ;P

on the day it self (Saturday) dah rasa tak senang duduk, kejap-kejap tengok jam. oh majlis dah start la ni; hujan ke panas terik eh?; entah-entah krim dah menitik-nitik meleleh uwaaa; camne kalau ada budak terlanggar meja kek then jatuh tergolek?; ish, ada masa ke diorag nak letak bunga2 tu sume?; oh no! what if kek tu basi? or berkulat sebab terkena ais yang mencair? ohemgee ohemgee ohemgeeee!!

mak pun tak membantu langsung, 'eh kak, ape citer la kek ko ek?'

i siap provide a few bunch of fresh flowers for them to err, you know...deco and touch up cover kecacatan kerim the cake. shocking pink daisies, purple roses, some baby's breath and the cute green kekwa yang kecik tu. and it ended up looking like this:

*pics taken from fb

 adoiii...totally not what i have in mind lah, how the cake is going to look like. kasihan pada kakak ku itew, maklumlah kesibukan pastikan majlis berjalan lancar mana la ada masa nak membega-bega kek tu lelama kan. ah bunga tu i tepek je la dekat krim yang dah crack tu you ;)

alhamdulillah...semua orang dapat merasa kek pengantin, keluarga belah lelaki suka, kaum kerabat diorang from all over msia pun enjoy sangat the cake tu. harus la enjoy sebab i tepek krim tu tebal-tebal ikut selera anak tokak den ni ha. and dah siap renjis sugar syrup for each cake layer, konon nak maintain moist gitew.

my sil said nasib baik kek tu besar gile sebab semua berebut sampaikan diorg have to 'sorok' a bit for tuan rumah merasa. oops pecah rahsia ;P yang penting semua cakap sedap dan habis licin di jamah.

kiranya objektif tukang order untuk jamu semua tetamu dengan kek pengantin-boleh-di-makan dan berbaloi membeli tercapai juga. feedback semua kata shedappppp...alhamdulillah :)

as for me, oh no please don't ask me to do it again. kerja gila je order kek kat i tahu? kek kahwin lak tu. i'm only a very novice baker you know, fondant pun tak pandai let alone nak buat italian buttercream, steam buttercream and what not. 

kalau nak jugak, sila bear in mind yang kek tu akan comot ye. order can only be accept from risktaker sahaja. boleh? hahaha. ;)

mya's rainbow fairy cakes

dah lama tak cerita pasal mya kan?

projek membaking yg tertangguh, dah banyak kali mya mintak nak bake cupcake yg so colourful tapi sebab vanilla paste dah habis so mama bagi janji pelesu manjang.

kalau vanilla extract or essence memang selalu jumpa time shopping groceries tapi terang-terang alcoholic jadinya, so cara selamat and tentunya sedap pakai aje vanilla bean paste, wallah! terangkat kalau buat butter cake, makan sambil pejam2 mata gitu.

anyway, nasib baik ada sisa food coloring dalam drawer baking mama.

 next mission: misi menghabiskan stok tepung. only got 27 days to do so.

anak dara ni kalau bagi main sprinkles and dapat lick the bowls..hmmm...habislah...apa apa je la mya, janji mya happy =)

sedap jugak layan vanilla plain cam ni, but agak manis la kalau ada one blob of jam sure mahsyuk ;)

what's cookin - Victoria Sandwich Cake; a true British classic ;)

Victoria Sandwich Cake...emmmm sedapnya...walaupun simple basic resepi je pun tapi gabungan kek butter, whipped cream dengan strawberries memang mengancam! sekali sekala memang menjelma jugak mengidam kek ni kat anak tekak...maka ke John Lewis cafe lah kami dua beranak, tak pun pergi satu cafe  tu yg memang dah tau ada Victoria Sponge yang sedap. (hasil exploration mama yang pantang nampak cafe comel and secluded)

tapi kali ni saya terpengaruh lagi bila ternampak kek ni kat dapur Kak Rima Spore, kena pulak time tu tengah puasa (ye ye sangat notty baru terkedek2 nak ganti belen2 puasa ganti) apa lagi terus call mi amor mintak beli butter balik ofis nanti...kelakar sebab bila singgah kedai on the way balik rumah dia siap call;


mama, nak apa tadi?
butter dengan telur..eh jap pastu nak gula, eggs and fresh milk heh heh heh
eh ado yo laie rasanya tadi butter je makin banyak pulak list..ni butter nak yang mana? 
oh lurpak pleaseeee....
kalau yang co-operative salted boleh?
tak nak nanti busuk.


balik tu dia mengomel, mahal betul butter mama ni dekat £3 ha..nasib baik papa cukup duit.
whoopsie! hehe...rupanya butter tu yang bosa patut la mahal sket, perli ke hape beli bosa2...men ey, mana la diorang tahu beza rasa kek pakai butter ke marjerin jenama supermarket kan.

anyway, kek ni memang a true British classic...sebaris dengan Bakewell Tart *nyums!*, Eton Mess *tak minat sangat*, Scones *oh yes!*, Lemon Drizzle Cake *tangy i like* and Shortbread *come to mama!*...slurpp! sedapnyaaaa la haii...so so  quintessentially British! to cut it short, i LOVE anything that have butter and sugar in it...memang masalah besar bagi diriku...oh crap! ;P

potong dua slice untuk jiran sebelah...kesian diorang tu kerja keras sebab sebelah ni dental lab, and kalau terserempak dengan the wifey yg selalu keluar masuk rumah buat delivery tu dia sangat baik selalu tegur and lambai2 even kalau time tu dia tengah kat dalam ofis...dan juga untuk meringankan beban dari kena habiskan kek sorang2...mi amor tak layan sangat lorr....excuse my paper plate, lagipun pintu sebelah je kan...serius tak de stok bekas makanan yang fancy2 -_-'

the basic recipe is; equal weight of eggs, sugar, flour and butter. some recipe did add baking powder and a little milk to losen. kalau ikut yang Kak Rima buat tu dia timbang berat telur then go from there. for mine, i use Mary Berry's from goodtoknow, senang sebab all-in-one method, campak-semua-beat-then-bake and dah siap a few sukatan according to the size of your cake tin. the recipe just use a layer of jam, sandwich together between two layers of cake, it is said by Women's Institue to be the original version of the cake, refer wikipedia. but kita lagi suka yang ada layer cream and fresh strawberries, more lighter in terms of taste but not the calorie obviously. ;P

Victoria Sandwich Cake

Source: Mary Berry's from goodtoknow recipes.com

• 2 large eggs
• 100 g (4 oz) of softened butter
• 100 g (4 oz) of caster sugar, (1/2 cup sugar)
• 100 g (4 oz) of self-raising flour (1 cup self raising flour)
• 1tsp of baking powder.
• 2 x 15cm (6 in) greased and lined sandwich - i used 8" cake tin, bake 2 portion of this recipe to get 2 layer cake
• 1 tablespoon milk, to losen - ni tambah sendiri
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste - tambah sendiri

For the filling and topping:

• 4tbsp strawberry or raspberry jam
• A little caster sugar, for sprinkling on top
• 150ml double cream, whipped until slightly stiff with 2 tablespoon icing sugar - tambah sendiri, ikut preference masing-masing ye
• fresh strawberries slice - tambah sendiri
• 
  
• METHOD:

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/gas 4. Grease two sandwich tins then line the base of each tin with baking parchment.

Measure the butter, sugar, eggs, flour, milk if using and baking powder into a large bowl and beat until thoroughly blended. Divide the mixture evenly between the tins and level out.

Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 25 minutes or until well risen and the tops of the cakes spring back when lightly pressed with a finger. Leave to cool in the tins for a few minutes then turn out, peel off the parchment and finish cooling on a wire rack.

When completely cool,take one cake, layer with whipped cream then spread some jam and arrange strawberries slices and top with another layer of cake on top. Sprinkle icing sugar for garnishing before serve.

Storage: any leftover sandwiched-cake can keep in the fridge, make sure letak dalam bekas yang bertutup and allow 15 minutes in room temperature before eating. Somehow selepas di war warkan dalam fb mayday mayday mintak tolong kawan-kawan yang interested utk dtg rumah to take the leftovers datang la Cik Thirah aka supermummy datang lepas habis lab last nite. phewww...  -_-'  so rasanya max 2-3 days if kept in the fridge will be ok.

nak order red velvet?

ada jugak yg berminat order kek, bila fon mak cakap 'ada kawan order kek, 3-4 bulan sekali je ada org order hehe..' then mak cakap,'orang 3-4 kali seminggu, kau 3-4 bulan sekali eh'

ala saje je suka-suka buat untuk kawan2 kan, yang penting home made, walaupun senget benget menggigil tangan ni nak 'menulis' and paip border pun ala tarik2 je takde teknik apa pun but somehow home made cake always a winner, no? hihi at least for me la, lagipun kita boleh pilih bahan2 yang terbaik, tahu apa benda ada dalam kek tu kan...asalkan buat dengan ikhlas and full with love insya Allah sedap =)

bila buat untuk orang ni terasa jugak pressurenya, sebab Athirah awal2 dah bitau kali ni kita nak bayar tau? sebab dulu dia mintak buatkan Choc Indulgence tapi sebab baru my 2nd try and banyakkkk gila flaws here and there dengan menyenget and what with white chocolate mousse yang tak berapa nak set tu (more to the meleleh side actually ;P) so kita bagi je la...lagipun saje je sambil2 nak praktis dan melayan my baking curiosity ;P

uwaaaa...tulisan tersenget lah pulak...huhu...yang sebelah tu Talam Roti Paun, my first talam ever! entah serangga apa yang tergigit dah kena talaming-bug lah pulok..hihi...selalu tu baking-bug je...sedap oh talam ni, even mi amor yg tak suka kuih2 manis macam kuih lapis or koci pun cakap sedap...mya pun approve so resepi ni memang best la kan? lagipun ramai sifu blogger yang dah try...later kita share resepi ok? ada tinggal sikit je lagi untuk esok punya sesi talam berposing, tu pun kalau sempat diselamatkan la....

oh yg talam sebekas tu kita bagi kat Thirah gak, saje je sebab rumah dia tengah ramai orang tu..malam ni TukPa nak celebrate birthday dengan Anisah's baby cousin named Adam...tu yang ruang kek sempit tapi nak jugak tulis full, lalu kek comot jadinya huhu...hopefully they enjoy the cake and the talam as much as we did =)

what's cookin - Blackforest Cake

kek ni buat untuk majlis farewell kak yatie last week, venue paling best mana lagi kalau bukan rumah kak suni kan? hehe...best wooo budak2 main berlarian, lari lah kau puas2 budak, kang balik rumah kawasan nak berlarian sekangkang kera jek hihi...

anyway, nanti kalau rajin buat entry lain la pasal bbq tu...mmg niat di hati dah lama nak buat blackforest cake ni, bukan teringin sangat pun saje je nak buat, craving membaking blackforest...kita tak berapa nak makan sangat cherries ni, sebab kalau makan mesti sakit tekak...kadang2 tu ada yang masam kelat semacam rasa macam ubat batuk pun ada...tp kalau dapat yang manis, wallah! siap la kau bangun pagi esok anak tekak dah melekat...huhu...

nak buat senang je sebenarnya, just plan ahead and sediakan bahan a day before...nanti senang tinggal nak whip cream dengan assemble the cake aje...the cake consists 4 main parts:

1. Chocolate Sponge Cake - yang ni boleh guna mana2 resepi kek span coklat kegemaran atau nak senang guna je pre-mix ;)

2. Cherry Filling - i used canned red cherries filling, yang ni rasanya most kedai baking supply ada jual filling dah siap...kalau ada bajet boleh je buat filling sendiri guna fresh cherries almaklumlah harga ceri kat msia nun mahal yang hazab.

3. Cherry Sugar Syrup - yang ni just basic air gula je, kita campur sikit jus dari filling cherries tadi, bukan jus pun more to konsistensi cherries sauce sebenarnya sebab pekat, yang ni untuk kita renjis pada kek.

4. Whipped Cream - secukupnya ye, kalau nak deko over2 cream kena lebih nanti tak cukup pulak korang nak paip bunga comel2 atas kek. kali ni kita try buat stabilised whip cream..tp tengok cam tak berkesan je letak gelatin, silap teknik letewww...hihi

and for garnishing; a few cherries, and grated dark chocolate/chocolate rice.

jom kita tengok gambo, terlebih rajin ni snap sambil main cream ;P

fillinng buah ceri yang kita guna, jenama Hartleys...filling ni dah siap masak tapi kita panaskan atas api and tambah gula sket, sebab rasa dia piau cam ubat batuk kuikuikui...

 kek dibelah 3 lapisan, ambik satu lapisan letak atas cake board, renjis dan sapu dengan cherry syrup, kemudian sapu cream, then letak filling...lapisan kek yang kedua pun untuk permukaan yang nak telangkupkan atu kita renjis cherry syrup then cream, then terlangkupkan atas permukaan kek yang pertama tadi, ok? sebab susah nak sapu cream atas filling...

 ulang proses melapis; cherry syrup-whipped cream-cherry filling-whipped cream-cake... sampai habis ye...

 my petite assistant; doing a very good job cleaning up the bowl and the whole utensils ;)

 see? very the efficient kan? and its all about Chelsea's champion story for the background...player tengah nak balik masa ni and asyik update setiap pergerakan kut, dah kuar hotel, on the way naik bas, nak naik private jet, pukul berapa nak berarak bawak piala...blaa..blaa.. blah! ;P

as i mentioned in previous entry, disaster masa nak bakar kek sbb oven berasap (clumsy me, dont blame it on the oven yah) so kek span ni dah jadi kek span kukus...tapi masya Allah...bila menjadi tu, rasa happy sangat2 alhamdulillah kek span gue tak jadi kek apam ;P

tapi kan, on the way dalam kereta itu kek ada sikit senget juga..wakakaka...masalah tersebut dikesan berpunca dari ketamakan si pembuat kek meletak filling ceri beliau, tengok la dok tepek filling tebal mana kan, mana la tak senget benget dibuatnya hihihi..next time maybe kena moderate sket letak filling tu ye mama mya, bukan apa kita malas la nak simpan2 baki filling tu nanti buat semak fridge je kan =P

 haha..masa ni menyesal tak amik gamba proper lepas habis deko...deko simple aje, paip cream penuh keliling kek sebab malas nak parut coklat...chocolate rice pulak nan ado so tenyeh aje la cream kan..

 leaning tower of blackforest

 nak potong pun agak mencabar, sebab asyik terkena gumpalan cherry...emmmm...

fancy a slice? oh sila sila...kita rasa sesudu je kut tu pun kecek pinggan sapa entah...dok sibuk potong2 untuk orang sedar2 dah habis hihi...

nak resepi? malas la nak taip2...kita bagi link aje ok...kredit kpd tuan punye resepi for their inspiration and for sharing with us =)

Resepi Kek Span Coklat, myresepi.com (very very forgiving recipe this one, you better keep it..i use it as a base for many recipes required for chocolate sponge as a base; choc indulgence, choc banana, etc..)

Cherry Filling and Stabilised Whipped Cream from bisousatoi (i dont use her filling recipe though)

apa lagi pi kedai baking beli cherry filling dgn tepung premix esok! =D

p/s: mood sedih sebab tak dapat tengok my best friend's wedding! Yanti, maafkan daku disini T___T

what's cookin - Peanut Butter Cookies (Joy of Baking's recipe)

lama tak masuk entry masak2 kan? punya lah dah lost mojo kata orang..ewah! mojo la sangat padahal malessss nak snap2 gambar and dressing up kan makanan lepas masak ;P

dah lama teringin nak makan biskut kacang ni, tekak ni macam terasa-rasa je..siap beli  peanut butter lagi tu konon nak buat...and that was err..when was it? maybe a year ago? sebab masa korek lemari dapur ternampak la botol peanut butter yang beli dengan penuh semangat dulu tu...tengok2 expiry date May 2012...dang!!

hah lepas tu terus capai butter, check bahan and operasi le apa lagi.. resepi yang bookmark dulu pun dah hilang sebab banyak kali dah mi amor format laptop..oopss! ;P

the verdict: shedapppp!! for all peanut butter lovers sure suka punya..full of peanut taste and quite heavy, more on the rich side...tekstur rangup yang ala2 crumbly, bukan rangup yang macam makan famous amos cookies tu.. makan kena sikit2 sebab makan satu pun dah agak kenyang...bila makan teringat biskut kacang yang masa chinese new year tu =)



Peanut Butter Cookies
Source: Joy of Baking

3/4 cup (170 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup (105 grams) light brown sugar

1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated white sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3/4 cup (185 grams) peanut butter (smooth or crunchy) - i used smooth

2 cups (260 grams) all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chopped peanuts or 1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy (about 2 - 3 minutes). Beat in the peanut butter. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat to combine. 

In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the peanut butter mixture and beat until incorporated. Fold in the chopped peanuts, if using. 

(If the batter is too soft to form into balls, place in the refrigerator for about an hour or until firm.)

Roll the batter into 1 inch (2.5 cm) balls.Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheet, placing about 2 inches (5 cm) apart. Then, using the tines of the fork that has been dipped in white granulated sugar, make a crisscross pattern. 

Bake the cookies for about 10 to12 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly browned around the edges. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Can be stored at room temperature, in an airtight container, for about a week. Freeze for longer storage.

what's cookin - EVO and Yogurt Loaf Cake (Dorie Greenspan's)

rupa loaf cake yang tak berapa nak cun =P

bila jumpa resepi ni cam terasa sangat-sangat lah nak mencubanya, sebab resepi ni tak pakai butter and used Extra Virgin Olive instead...saje la kan tak cuba tak tahu sedap ke tak...nak buat memang la senang...zus zas zus zas dah siap masuk oven hehe...resepi ni dari chef terkenal, Dorie Greenspan from her column in Serious Eats: Baking With Dorie

hasilnya, just plain everyday loaf cake with a little tangy zesty taste from the lemon zest...rasanya much more better kalau tambah perahan lemon form 1 whole lemon kut, sebab rasanya agak manis so kalau ada sikit rasa masam lemon tu balance sikit...dan yogurt pulak buatkan kek ni moist..apa pun, kek ni sedap juga buat minum petang atau tiba-tiba dapat tau ada tetamu nak datang mengejut, sebab mudah nak dibancuh, just kena spare some time memandangkan kek ni agak lama juga nak di bakar...satu lagi, kualiti olive oil pun memainkan peranan, disebabkan i ni just ambil the cheapest EVO time pergi cari kat kedai hati tu, so flavour olive oil tu macam takde effect sangat hehe...jimat punya pasal =)

oven i tu kan memang tau...tahap kepanasannya memang over sikit habis kek ni senget2 and ter sun burn sikit kulit dia hehe...

for recipe, click here okey....terasa kemalasan nak copy paste hehe...lagipun better kalau kita baca sikit note from the chef and komen-komen dari orang yang dah try resepi ni...happy baking! (^_^)