iGourmet

Pomegranate & Rose Cake

noreply@blogger.com (May) — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 18:37:00 +0000

I know it’s been a loooooooooong time, but trying to juggle a toddler, a blog and a social life is challenging. :-p To tell you the truth, I missed baking and blogging, so I decided to give my blog a lil make-over. I’m still working on a couple of tech stuff and design, but hopefully will be done soon. *fingers crossed* :-p

Have I ever told you, I have the best Mother-in-law? :-D She’s adorable, she’s funny, she’s wise, aaaaaaaand makes the best “Home-made Halwa” in the world eva!! :-p (Still trying to get the recipe though, lol)

A Couple of weeks ago, my Mother-in-law, gave us a basket of fresh pomegranates, and ooooh those ruby seeds where absolutely delicious!

They were soo good they tasted like rose water.. and I immediately thought of baking a cake that combines both flavors. It was a huge hit with everyone!

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the most fluffiest sponge cake filled with bursting flavors of pomegranates and rose.

Here we go:

Ingredients:

Cake:

2 1/4 cups cake flour (See Note)

1 1/2 cups sugar 

1 tablespoon baking powder 

1 teaspoon salt 

3/4 cup cold water 

1/2 cup canola oil 

5 pieces eggs, separated 

1 tablespoon vanilla extract 

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Note: If you don't have Cake flour, plz goto this link.

Filling:

Fresh Pomegranates or any seasonal fruit

Custard (Home-made or from a can) :-p

Cake Syrup (recipe below)

Frosting:

Freshly whipped cream + tsp rose water (Whipped)

Combine flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl.

Pour in the cold water, canola oil, egg yolks, and vanilla extract then whisk until the texture becomes smooth. Set aside. 

Transfer the egg whites in a separate mixing bowl and combine cream of tartar. Beat the egg white and cream of tartar mixture using an electric mixer (high speed) until texture becomes fluffy. Beat-in the remaining 1/2 cup sugar a teaspoonful at a time and continue mixing until everything is properly distributed. 

At this point, you should have two mixing bowls with different mixtures. Combine the egg white mixture with the egg yolk mixture gradually by folding the egg white mixture in the egg yolk mixture (start with 1/4 of the egg white mixture followed by another 1/4 until everything is fully combined). 

Grease a 8″ round cake pan and pour-in the mixture. Preheat oven to 175C and bake for 45 mins or until cake is done.

Remove the cake from the oven then allow to cool.

Cake Syrup:

½ cup sugar

½ cup water

1 tablespoon rose water

1 tablespoon orange blossom water

Arranging the Cake:

Place the cake on a flat surface then carefully slice it into 3 layers.

Starting with the bottom layer, brush the cake syrup equally on the cake and edges. Add a cup of custard and spread equally then sprinkle the fresh pomegranates. Repeat the same process one more time.

Finally, brush the top layer with cake syrup, then start frosting the cake with the whipped cream, and decorate with some of those ruby seeds. ;-)

Hope you like it.. (^_^)

Souk El Tayeb - First Farmers Market in Beirut

noreply@blogger.com (May) — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 17:51:00 +0000

"Souk el Tayeb is an open-air weekly farmers market in Lebanon that specializes in organic food products. The market has three locations.^[1] Two locations are in Beirut, one at the Saifi Village and one at Rue Verdun. The third location is in the city of Byblos.

The market is organized and run by a non-profit cooperative headquartered at 226, Rue Gouraud in Gemmayzeh. The organic cooperative spans Lebanon's regions, religions and sects.^[2] Souk el Tayeb receives funding from European governments and from nongovernmental groups.^[2] According to the Los Angeles Times, the Italian government donated $600,000 for food-related projects in Lebanon after the 2006 war." Wikipedia

http://www.soukeltayeb.com/

This is an amazing concept that I would love to see one day in the UAE..

Mayrig, Beirut

noreply@blogger.com (May) — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 16:23:00 +0000

Here's a photographic review of one of my favourite Armenian restaurants in Beirut. I would travel all the way to Beirut to dine in this amazing restaurant again..

MAYRIG

282 Pasteur Street, Gemmayze, Beirut

961-1/ 57 21 21; 961-3/ 22 82 27

info@mayrig.com.lb

http://www.mayrig.com.lb

A taste of the Arabian Gulf..

noreply@blogger.com (May) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Rahash Cheesecake Recipe:

Base:

120 g biscuits (Any type as long as its light) - I used "leibniz"
80g ground pistachios
30g ground almonds
30g ground hazelnuts
50g light brown sugar
140g butter, melted
Pinch of Cardamon

Cheesecake Filling:

100g white chocolate
600g rich cream cheese, at room temperature
250g sugar (You might want to omit this, since the Rahash is already very sweet)
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons ground almonds
250g Rahash, coarsely crumbled

Rahash Glaze:

3 tablespoons heavy cream
40g butter
100g Rahash
2 tablespoons honey

Base:

Grind the biscuits in a food processor and transfer to a bowl. Grind the nuts till it reaches coarse crumbs and mix with biscuits. Add brown sugar and melted butter and mix well. Press the mixture to the bottom and sides of the pan, and freeze for about 30 mins. Bake 15 minutes at 180 degrees until it turns to a golden crust.

Cheesecake Filling:

Melt the white chocolate in a Bain-marie or microwave, and let it cool. Whip together the cream cheese and sugar. Add in the Rahash and melted white chocolate. Start adding the eggs, one at a time. Add the lemon juice, vanilla extract, ground almonds and mix. Bake for 45-50 minutes at 160 degrees. You will know the it is ready when the sides of the cheesecake turn golden and the center still trembles like jelly. Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake to cool inside. (You can keep the oven door slightly open) Put the cooled cheesecake in the fridge, while you prepare the glaze.

Rahash Glaze:

In a small saucepan bring the cream to a boil. Add in the butter and Rahash, mix until completely melted. Let it cool slightly Add in the honey then mix and pour over cheesecake. You can decorate it as you like, I used some leftover ground pistachio and a Kunafa nest. =) Chill the cheesecake atleast overnight in the fridge.

Bon Appetit! ;-)

Nostalgia

noreply@blogger.com (May) — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 14:30:00 +0000

Looooong time my friends! I know I knoww... :-p been in a 9 month whirlpool, but I'm out of it now, with a gorgeous lil angel. (^_^) So, saying that, I will try my best to start posting more often from now on. =p

Been recently in a nostalgic mood, craving a proper English Trifle, Sticky Toffee Puddings, and upside-down Pineapple Cake! So I decided to bake one of those today... here's the recipe for the most amazing moist upside-down Pineapple Cake!

Recipe:

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

½ cup Golden Syrup
2/3 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed Brown Sugar
1 can Sliced Pineapple Rings
Glacé cherries
2 Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 cups All-Purpose Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
½ tsp Baking Soda
½ tsp Salt
1 ¼ tsp Cinnamon
1 cup Milk
½ cup chopped Pecans (Optional)

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease and line a deep baking dish. Pour the golden syrup into the tin, pop in the oven and heat for 2 minutes. Tilt the tin to evenly spread the syrup. Top with the pecans and pineapple rings, putting a glacé cherry in the middle of each ring.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and the brown sugar. Cream well until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs (always crack your eggs into another bowl and given them a good mix with a fork before adding to batters) and vanilla.

In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Add ¼ flour mixture to creamed mixture. Mix very well. Add ½ of milk to creamed mixture. Mix well. Repeat until flour mixture and milk are completely incorporated.

Pour batter, carefully as to not disturb the pineapple slices, into the baking dish.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until golden. To test, insert a skewer into the center – it should come out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then invert onto a serving platter.

Etoile

noreply@blogger.com (May) — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 10:18:00 +0000

Lunch with friends @ Etoile, Emirates Palace.

noreply@blogger.com (May) — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 12:25:00 +0000

Freshly baked cookies off to Jumairah tomorrow. =)

Lavash

noreply@blogger.com (May) — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 05:20:00 +0000

Septembers challenge: Lavash Crackers from Peter Reinhart’s The Bread Baker’s Apprentice. Thank you to both Musing From the Fishbowl and Gluten a Go Go for hosting this one.

Lavash is an Armenian flatbread similar to the Lebanese flatbreads. The only difference between these flatbreads is either how thick or thin they are rolled out and the type of oven in which they are baked.

This month's challenge was different from the others because for the first time, we were required to make something vegan. :-) The recipe was very simple, but my Lavash was more bread-like than crackers. But it was just as good.

The only change Ive made to the recipe is I sprinkles some chopped nuts on the bread before it was baked.

I also made a sweet dip that consisted of Tahini (sesame paste) and Honey.

Here's the recipe:

Lavash Crackers
from The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread, by Peter Reinhart

The key to a crisp lavash is to roll out the dough paper-thin. The sheet can be cut into crackers in advance or snapped into shards after baking. The shards make a nice presentation when arranged in baskets.

Makes 1 sheet pan of crackers

1 1/2 cups (6.75 oz) unbleached bread flour or gluten free flour blend (If you use a blend without xanthan gum, add 1 tsp xanthan or guar gum to the recipe)
1/2 tsp (.13 oz) salt
1/2 tsp (.055 oz) instant yeast
1 Tb (.75 oz) agave syrup or sugar
1 Tb (.5 oz) vegetable oil
1/3 to 1/2 cup + 2 Tb (3 to 4 oz) water, at room temperature
Poppy seeds, sesame seeds, paprika, cumin seeds, caraway seeds, or kosher salt for toppings

1. In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, salt yeast, agave, oil, and just enough water to bring everything together into a ball. You may not need the full 1/2 cup + 2 Tb of water, but be prepared to use it all if needed.

2. For Non Gluten Free Cracker Dough: Sprinkle some flour on the counter and transfer the dough to the counter. Knead for about 10 minutes, or until the ingredients are evenly distributed. The dough should pass the windowpane test (click here for a description of this) and register 77 degrees to 81 degrees Fahrenheit. The dough should be firmer than French bread dough, but not quite as firm as bagel dough (what I call medium-firm dough), satiny to the touch, not tacky, and supple enough to stretch when pulled. Lightly oil a bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

or

2. For Gluten Free Cracker Dough: The dough should be firmer than French bread dough, but not quite as firm as bagel dough (what I call medium-firm dough), and slightly tacky. Lightly oil a bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

3. Ferment at room temperature for 90 minutes, or until the dough doubles in size. (You can also retard the dough overnight in the refrigerator immediately after kneading or mixing).

4. For Non Gluten Free Cracker Dough: Mist the counter lightly with spray oil and transfer the dough to the counter. Press the dough into a square with your hand and dust the top of the dough lightly with flour. Roll it out with a rolling pin into a paper thin sheet about 15 inches by 12 inches. You may have to stop from time to time so that the gluten can relax. At these times, lift the dough from the counter and wave it a little, and then lay it back down. Cover it with a towel or plastic wrap while it relaxes. When it is the desired thinness, let the dough relax for 5 minutes. Line a sheet pan with baking parchment. Carefully lift the sheet of dough and lay it on the parchment. If it overlaps the edge of the pan, snip off the excess with scissors.

or

4. For Gluten Free Cracker Dough: Lay out two sheets of parchment paper. Divide the cracker dough in half and then sandwich the dough between the two sheets of parchment. Roll out the dough until it is a paper thin sheet about 15 inches by 12 inches. Slowly peel away the top layer of parchment paper. Then set the bottom layer of parchment paper with the cracker dough on it onto a baking sheet.

5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit with the oven rack on the middle shelf. Mist the top of the dough with water and sprinkle a covering of seeds or spices on the dough (such as alternating rows of poppy seeds, sesame seeds, paprika, cumin seeds, caraway seeds, kosher or pretzel salt, etc.) Be careful with spices and salt - a little goes a long way. If you want to precut the cracker, use a pizza cutter (rolling blade) and cut diamonds or rectangles in the dough. You do not need to separate the pieces, as they will snap apart after baking. If you want to make shards, bake the sheet of dough without cutting it first.

5. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the crackers begin to brown evenly across the top (the time will depend on how thinly and evenly you rolled the dough).

6. When the crackers are baked, remove the pan from the oven and let them cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. You can then snap them apart or snap off shards and serve.

Saffron Chocolate Eclairs

noreply@blogger.com (May) — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 16:48:00 +0000

Ever since I’ve joined Daring Bakers, I have been so motivated to bake, even with the occasional slips. I sill manage to get up and bake again. =) August challenge was to make “Pierre Herme” Chocolate Éclairs. So a BIG gigantic thank you to Tony Tahhan and to MeetaK for this fantastic challenge, French pastries is not as complicated as you would think!

I tried to make those Éclairs a few times, and finally to get rid of the eggyness of the éclairs, I added a pinch of ground cardamom and a teaspoon of vinegar. For the pastry cream, I made a basic pastry cream with saffron and a splash of rose water.

And finally, I would like to wish you a happy peaceful Ramadan to you and your families.

Not exactly Danish.. (>_<)

noreply@blogger.com (May) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 04:24:00 +0000

This month DBs challenge was to make a Danish Pastry Braid.. This time the recipe comes from The Secrets of Baking by Sherry Yard, and can be found at one of the two host(ess)'s sites for this challenge - Kelly from Sass & Veracity, or Ben from What's Cooking?. Im not actually happy with the results, my dough was very sticky and delicate, so it was hard to work with, had to make the braids really fast since the dough melts really quick. My filling was English Custard & Treacle. And I also made some pineapple danish with my leftover dough.
*sigh*

A Taste of Light: Opéra Cake

noreply@blogger.com (May) — Wed, 28 May 2008 11:10:00 +0000

This month's Daring Bakers challenge is hosted by DB founders Lis and Ivonne, and two newer members Fran and Shea. It is dedicated to Barbara of winosandfoodies.com. Barbara is the force behind the food blog event called 'A Taste of Yellow' that supports the LiveSTRONG foundation started by Lance Armstrong. And this year's LiveStrong Day happens to be on May.

The challenge was to make an Opera Cake, and no, it not your typical chocolate/coffee Opera, but a light-colored cake. We were forbidden to use any dark flavors or ingredients, therefore I decided to make an almond cake with toffee syrup, whipped dulce de leche butter cream and white chocolate ganache. (I omitted the mousse )

Click here for the original recipe.

Very time consuming but definitely worth the effort! =p

Here are some shots from my 2 day opera adventure! (^_^)

My First "Daring Bakers" Challenge!

noreply@blogger.com (May) — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 14:34:00 +0000

I finally completed my first Daring Bakers challenge! (Which was on my honeymoon!!) =) For those of you who aren't familiar with the Daring Bakers, we are a group of food bloggers from around the world who make the same recipe each month and post our results on the same day at the end of the month, and it’s always so much fun to see all the different variations that arise when a large number of people do the same baking task!. After checking out several Daring Bakers sites I finally got the courage to join the group and attempt to bake with the best! =)

Our April challenge was a jazzed up cheesecake.It is little bites of cheesecake, held on a stick and dipped in sprinkles. The recipe appeared to be more complex than it actually was. it was actually quite simple. Here is a little insight to my process....

Cheesecake Pops, Adapted from "Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey" by Jill O’Connor.

Makes 30 – 40 Pops

5 8-oz. packages cream cheese at room temperature

2 cups sugar

¼ cup all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon salt

5 large eggs

2 egg yolks

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

¼ cup heavy cream

Boiling water as needed

Thirty to forty 8-inch lollipop sticks

1 pound chocolate, finely chopped – you can use all one kind or half and half of dark, milk, or white (Alternately, you can use 1 pound of flavored coatings, also known as summer coating, confectionary coating or wafer chocolate – candy supply stores carry colors, as well as the three kinds of chocolate.)

2 tablespoons vegetable shortening

(Note: White chocolate is harder to use this way, but not impossible)

Assorted decorations such as chopped nuts, colored jimmies, crushed peppermints, mini chocolate chips, sanding sugars, dragees) - Optional

Position oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Set some water to boil.

In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese, sugar, flour, and salt until smooth. If using a mixer, mix on low speed. Add the whole eggs and the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well (but still at low speed) after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and cream.

Grease a 10-inch cake pan (not a springform pan), and pour the batter into the cake pan. Place the pan in a larger roasting pan. Fill the roasting pan with the boiling water until it reaches halfway up the sides of the cake pan. Bake until the cheesecake is firm and slightly golden on top, 35 to 45 minutes.

Remove the cheesecake from the water bath and cool to room temperature. Cover the cheesecake with plastic wrap and refrigerate until very cold, at least 3 hours or up to overnight.

When the cheesecake is cold and very firm, scoop the cheesecake into 2-ounce balls and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Carefully insert a lollipop stick into each cheesecake ball. Freeze the cheesecake pops, uncovered, until very hard, at least 1 – 2 hours.

When the cheesecake pops are frozen and ready for dipping, prepare the chocolate. In the top of a double boiler, set over simmering water, or in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, heat half the chocolate and half the shortening, stirring often, until chocolate is melted and chocolate and shortening are combined. Stir until completely smooth. Do not heat the chocolate too much or your chocolate will lose it’s shine after it has dried. Save the rest of the chocolate and shortening for later dipping, or use another type of chocolate for variety.

Alternately, you can microwave the same amount of chocolate coating pieces on high at 30 second intervals, stirring until smooth.

Quickly dip a frozen cheesecake pop in the melted chocolate, swirling quickly to coat it completely. Shake off any excess into the melted chocolate. If you like, you can now roll the pops quickly in optional decorations. You can also drizzle them with a contrasting color of melted chocolate (dark chocolate drizzled over milk chocolate or white chocolate over dark chocolate, etc.) Place the pop on a clean parchment paper-lined baking sheet to set. Repeat with remaining pops, melting more chocolate and shortening (or confectionary chocolate pieces) as needed.

Refrigerate the pops for up to 24 hours, until ready to serve.

Gulfood 2008

noreply@blogger.com (May) — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 14:22:00 +0000

I paid a visit to the Gulfood exhibition at the Trade Centre, Dubai. The trade show had participants in almost all the stages of the food/restaurant industry. They ranged from basic food, fast food machinery, complete kitchen equipment to packaged food and menu design templates. It was a first for me, and no doubt for many others visiting. Huge place, and lots to see, I was exhausted but ended the day with a perfect lunch at Lotus One.

Here are some snapshots that I managed to take.. =)

Carrot Cake

noreply@blogger.com (May) — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 14:31:00 +0000

2-12 Carmenita Dancing.mp3">

A carrot cake that you would find very tasty, even if you don't like carrots. This carrot cake is everything you would ask for in a cake, moist,dense and spiced. The passion fruit flavored cream cheese frosting compliments it perfectly.

You will need:

4 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups canola oil
2 cups of grated carrot
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 heaping tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup finely chopped pecans

Frosting:

8 tb unsalted butter, softened
2 packages cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar

1 tsp passion fruit essence (or lemon juice)

Preheat oven to 176 C.

In the bowl of a standing mixer, mix the eggs, sugar, and oil on medium speed, until well-combined. Mix in grated carrots. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With mixer running on low, gradually add dry ingredients to the carrot mixture; mix just until combined. Fold in nuts. Pour into prepared pan, and bake 50 minutes, or until middle is set and edges are beginning to pull away from pan. Cool completely in pan, then remove to cake stand or serving platter.

Meanwhile, beat softened cream cheese and butter on medium, gradually adding confectioner’s sugar and flavoring. When cake is completely cooled, apply a thick later of frosting to its top using an offset spatula; run spatula around edge of cake to ensure frosting is smooth and flush with cake’s edge.

Serve with tea or a big mug of cappuccino! =)

German "heavenly" Chocolate Cake

noreply@blogger.com (May) — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 19:11:00 +0000

This is a recipe I got from Epicurious, with a few "modifications". =p It seems complicated but believe me, its so easy to make! =)

For cake layers
2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup canola oil
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup boiling-hot water

For filling
7 oz sweetened flaked coconut
4 oz coarsely chopped pecans (1 cup)
14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 tablespoon vanilla

For glaze
2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
10 oz fine-quality semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
3 tablespoons light corn syrup

Special equipment: 2 (9-inch) round cake pans

Make cake layers:

Preheat oven to 350°F with a rack positioned in the center of the oven and oil cake pans.

1. Butter and lightly flour the baking pans. Sift together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the eggs, milk, vanilla extract and canola oil and beat the mixture on medium until well incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

2. With the mixer on low, add the boiling water, letting the mixture come together. It will be sloshy.

3. Divide batter among cake pans and bake for 20 to 35, or until a tester comes out clean.

4. Let the cakes completely cool before assembling

Make filling:
Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.

1. Spread coconut in a large shallow baking pan and pecans in another. Bake pecans in upper third of oven and coconut in lower third, stirring occasionally, until golden, 12 to 18 minutes. Remove pans from oven.
Stir in coconut, pecans, and vanilla and keep warm, covered with foil.

2. Place the unopened can of sweetened condensed milk in a large saucepan, or small stockpot. Pour enough water to completely submerge the can. Bring the pot, with the can completely submerged in water, to a boil. Turn the heat down and let the can simmer for 3 to 4 hours, adding water as need to ensure that the can remains covered with water the entire time. Let the can cool entirely before proceeding.

3. Empty the caramelized sweetened condensed milk into a large mixing bowl. Add the toasted coconut, toasted chopped pecans and vanilla and mix until well incorporated. If not immediately using, cover tightly with plastic wrap.

Make glaze while cake is baking:
Melt butter in a 3-quart saucepan. Remove pan from heat and add chocolate and corn syrup, whisking until chocolate is melted. Transfer 1 cup glaze to a bowl, reserving remaining glaze at room temperature in pan. Chill glaze in bowl, stirring occasionally, until thickened and spreadable, about 1 hour.

Assemble cake:
Put 1 cake layer on a rack set over a baking pan (to catch excess glaze). Drop the entire coconut filling by spoonfuls evenly over layer and gently spread with a wet spatula. Top with another cake layer and spread with remaining filling in same manner. Top with remaining cake layer and spread chilled glaze evenly over top and side of cake. Heat reserved glaze in pan over low heat, stirring, until glossy and pourable, about 1 minute. Pour glaze evenly over top of cake, making sure it coats sides. Shake rack gently to smooth glaze.

Chill cake until firm, about 1 hour. Transfer cake to a plate.

Cooks’ notes:
1. Cake keeps, covered and chilled, 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.
2. For easier handling when assembling cake, place bottom layer on a cardboard round or the removable bottom of a tart or cake pan. Was extremely messy at first! But was glad with the result.

Happy Holidays!

noreply@blogger.com (May) — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 10:49:00 +0000

I'm sorry that i haven't updated in awhile, Ive been really busy traveling and trying to organize myself. That explains my lack of time to do anything.. but I promise you that as soon as I come back from my Christmas trip, I will definitely update on a weekly basis. Though I'm dying to post some Eid & Christmas cookies recipes, I don't have the facilities to bake anything here. Oh well, I've uploaded some random picks for you to enjoy. Until then, Eidkum Mubarak, Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year. (^_^)

Almond Torte with Summer Berries

noreply@blogger.com (May) — Fri, 18 May 2007 21:17:00 +0000

Here's the recipe for this AMAZING gluten-free almond torte with summer berries:

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup cream cheese
1 cup sugar
5 large eggs
2 cups almond flour (finely ground almond)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Lemon rinds from 1 lemon
Summer berries

Cream butter, cream cheese and sugar together, mixing well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. In a separate bowl, mix almond flour with baking powder. Add egg/butter mixture to flour a little at a time while beating. Add lemon and vanilla extracts.

Pour into greased pan, and bake at 350°F for 50-55 minutes.

After the cake have cooled, brush some sugar syrup all around it, then assemble the berries, finish it off by brushing some strawberry jelly over the fruits.

p.s Hope you enjoyed it. =)

Butter Biscuits

noreply@blogger.com (May) — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 10:40:00 +0000

For this simple recipe, you will need:

200g butter
3/4 cup icing sugar
1 cup cornflour
1 cup plain flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Now all you have to do is, cream the butter and icing sugar together, then add the cornflour, plain flour, and the baking powder into the mixture and combine.

When the flour is being mixed in, it will seem a little clumpy, but keep mixing and it will come back together.

Roll the dough into little balls, squish with a fork, and bake for 20 minutes at 180C.

Enjoy =)

Banoffee Cheesecake

noreply@blogger.com (May) — Sat, 21 Apr 2007 09:06:00 +0000

For this recipe, you will need:

1 packet digestive biscuits crushed finely mixed with 50g butter, melted.

Press biscuit-butter mixture firmly into bottom of 8-inch (20cm) springform tin, refrigerate until you need it.

250g cream cheese
250g mascarpone cheese
500g white chocolate melted
1/2 to 1 cup of dulce de leche (see note)
about 1/4-1/2 c heavy cream to thin the mix for a smoother consistency
2 sliced bananas

Use electric beaters to mix cheeses, and heavy cream together. whisk until smooth (i heated all the ingredients to make it easier).
Arrange the sliced bananas on top of the biscuit base, then pour cheese mixture onto the bananas/biscuit base, then put in refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight. Drizzle the dulce de leche on top of the cake.

Note: For the dulce de leche, you can buy the ready ones or make them yourself by using one can of sweetened condensed milk. All you need to do is remove the label from the can of condensed milk. Put the can into a pot, and fill up the pot with water until it covers the top of the can. Put the pot on a stove and turn up the heat. Let the pot and can simmer gently for about one and a half to two hours for runny dulce de leche, or up to four hours for solid dulce de leche. Add more water, as necessary, when the level boils down too much. When it's done, let it cool for a while, and then carefully open up the can completely. The resulting product should be colored tan or brown. (as seen on the photo)

French Yogurt Cake

noreply@blogger.com (May) — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 14:45:00 +0000

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup ground almonds
2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1 cups sugar
grated zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup plain yogurt
3 large eggs
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup canola oil
Honey

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350F. Generously butter a loaf pan and place the pan on a baking sheet.
Whisk together the flour, ground almonds, baking powder and salt.
Put together the sugar and zest in a medium bowl and, with your fingertips, rub the zest into the sugar until the sugar is moist and aromatic. Add the yogurt, eggs and vanilla and whisk vigorously until the mixture is very well blended. Still whisking, add the dry ingredients, then switch to a large rubber spatula and fold in the oil. You’ll have a thick, smooth batter with a slight sheen. Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top.
Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until the cake begins to come away from the sides of the pan;it should be golden brown and a thin knife inserted into the center will come out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes, then run a blunt knife between the cake and the sides of the pan. Unmold, and cool to room temperature right side up on the rack.
Pour some honey on the cake and a few slices of fresh strawberry.. =)

Chocolate + Parmigiano Reggiano = Mamma Mia!

noreply@blogger.com (May) — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 18:46:00 +0000

Ingredients:

Parmigiano Reggiano
Dark chocolate 70%

Melt the chocolate using the bain-marie technique (water-bath). Cut small cubes of parmigiano reggiano and with the help of two forks, cover them with chocolate. Put the covered cheese onto a tray covered with a cookie sheet and store in the fridge for 30 minutes. Repeat the process another time to get a thick chocolate layer. Store in the fridge and take it out at least 15 minutes before serving.

Buon Appetito! =)

Pumpkin Pie

noreply@blogger.com (May) — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 18:50:00 +0000

Pumpkin Pie Ingredients:

1 (29 ounce) can pumpkin (or fresh cooked equivalent)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon salt
4 well beaten eggs
1 cup condensed milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 unbaked pie crust (see recipe below)

Combine first 8 ingredients in a large bowl, mixing well.
Combine the condensed milk and the heavy cream in a small saucepan.
Heat the milks to the scalding point.
Add scalded milks to the other ingredients, mixing well.
Pour equally into the UNBAKED pie crust.
Bake 350 degrees for about 1 hour.
Pie is done when a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Top with desired topping.

For the pie crust, you will need:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon granulated white sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, chilled, and cut into 1 inch (2.54 cm) pieces
1/8 to 1/4 cup ice water

In a food processor, place the flour, salt, and sugar and process until combined. Add the butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal (about 15 seconds). Pour 1/8 cup (30 ml) water in a slow, steady stream, through the feed tube until the dough just holds together when pinched. If necessary, add more water. Do not process more than 30 seconds.

Turn the dough onto your work surface and gather into a ball. Flatten into a disk, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to one hour before using. This will chill the butter and relax the gluten in the flour.

After the dough has chilled sufficiently, place on a lightly floured surface, and roll into a circle. Fold the dough in half and gently transfer to a pie pan. Brush off any excess flour and tuck the overhanging pastry under itself. Use a fork to make a decorative border. Alternatively, you can trim the pastry to the edge of the pie pan. With the remaining pastry make decorative cut-outs (leaves, pumpkins, etc.) and with a little water, attach them around the lip of the pie pan. Refrigerate the pastry, covered with plastic wrap, for about 30 minutes before pouring in the filling.

Geneva

noreply@blogger.com (May) — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 15:27:00 +0000

No recipe today, so I thought of posting some random pics that I took on my last trip to Geneva. =)

Will be posting a recipe very soon..

Cheerz

Tarte Tatin

noreply@blogger.com (May) — Sat, 07 Apr 2007 15:38:00 +0000

‘Tradition says that the Tarte Tatin was first created by accident at the Hotel Tatin in Lamotte-Beuvron, France in 1889. The hotel was run by two sisters, Stéphanie and Caroline Tatin. There are conflicting stories concerning the tart's origin, but the predominant one is that Stéphanie Tatin, who did most of the cooking, was overworked one day. She started to make a traditional apple pie but left the apples cooking in butter and sugar for too long. Smelling the burning, she tried to rescue the dish by putting the pastry base on top of the pan of apples, quickly finishing the cooking by putting the whole pan in the oven. After turning out the upside down tart, she was surprised to find how much the hotel guests appreciated the dessert. An alternative version of the tart's origin is offered on the official Tarte Tatin website, according to which Stéphanie baked a caramelised apple tart upside-down by mistake. Regardless she served her guests the unusual cake hot from the oven and a classic was born.’ Wikipedia

I was never an apple tart admirer, but ever since I’ve tried the ‘Tarte Tatin’ (upside down apple tart) at ‘Bellucci’ in Wafi, Dubai. I was determined to try it out at home. So I googled the recipe and found all sort of different ways to make that legendary French treat. I tried 3 recipes, till I came out with my slightly altered recipe. So here you go:

For the dough:
• Puff Pastry

For the filling:
• 5 Granny Smith apples
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 cups sugar

Roll the puff pastry out on a lightly floured surface to just larger than the diameter of the tin. Poke some holes onto the dough using a fork. Place on a tray lightly dusted with flour and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Cut out a circle slightly larger than the tin and refrigerate until required. 

Preheat oven to 190°C

Put the caster sugar in the tarte tatin mould or a saucepan and place over a medium heat until the sugar turns a dark caramel color. Turn off the heat and stir in the butter. Cool down for a few minutes. It's very important to drain off any excess butter. Pour the caramel mixture into a tart mould.

Peel the apples, and core them. Cut each apple crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices. Place the apple halves upright around the tin/mould, back to back rounded side to scooped-out side.. Press the apple halves tightly together so that there are no gaps even if this means you have to add a half or two.

Remove the dough circle from the refrigerator, and place it over the apples. Tuck the edges into the sides, being careful not to touch the hot sugar. Place the tart mould in the oven, and bake until the crust is golden, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven, and place it over a hot stove till the caramel/apple syrup reduces to half, then allow to sit for 10 minutes. Place a serving platter over the top of the tart mould, and invert the tarte tatin onto the platter.

Bon Appétit! ;-)  

Gâteau aux prunes

noreply@blogger.com (May) — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 10:22:00 +0000

When it’s plum season, and plums are all the fruit you want to buy, eating them fresh from the basket is just wonderful. But as time goes by and you are still buying all the types of plums in the same quantities, you start getting bored of it. So, to turn those plums into an amazing dessert, all you have to do is a ‘Plum cake’. =)

To make the Plum Cake, you will need the following ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• Plums (about 4 large)
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 7 Tbsp butter, room temperature
• 2 large eggs
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• 1/3 cup whole milk
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

In a bowl, mix the flour, salt, baking powder and ground cardamom. Keep
Put the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and work until lighter, about 3 to 4 mins.

Add the eggs, one after the other, making sure to mix well between each.

Add 1/3 of th dry ingredients. Mix well and add half of the milk and the vanilla extract. Mix until all the liquid is absorbed. Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients again, mix and then add the rest of the milk. Finish with the last third of the dry ingredients.

Grease a mold and sprinkle it with flour (or use individual molds). Fill 3/4 full.
Wash your plums and slice them. Place them on top of the batter, pushing down on them gently.

Preheat your oven at 350 F and cook for about 40 to 50, Check regularly. Remove from the oven and wait for a few mins before taking it out of the pan.

Serve warm, and sprinkle with icing sugar.