Raspberry Ripple Ice Cream

I would like to store some homemade vanilla ice cream in the freezer because sometimes I need it to serve with crumble or some hot desserts. Rather making a plain one, I was thinking to make the raspberry ripple so that it's also can be served straight. This is a recipe of Nigella Lawson but I've modified it a bit as I feel the custard is quite rich and thick. So, by reducing the sugar and adding some yogurt with fresh milk make a slightly light and refreshing ice cream. I like the sourly of raspberry, it served so well with hot chocolate desserts, crumble or cream puffs!

Recipe:

600g single cream (I used 300ml whipping cream & 300ml fresh milk)

6egg yolks

120g caster sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

4 tablespoon plain yogurt

100ml fresh milk

125g raspberries

1. Warm the milk, whipping cream and half of the sugar in a saucepan. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan. Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula or wooden spoon, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula.
2. Pour the custard through the strainer and stir in the vanilla extract. Mix it into the yogurt and fresh milk, then whisk it vigorously. Stir until cool over an ice bath.
3. Chill the mixture thoroughly in the ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.
4. While the ice cream freezing in the ice cream maker, put the raspberries and the remaining sugar in the processor and puree, then push through a nylon sieve to remove the pips. Then pour into a small, airtight container and stick it into the freezer to thicken but not to set hard.
5. When the ice cream frozen, but not solid, put one third of it into a container and then dribble over a third of the semi-frozen raspberry syrup. and repeat with another two layers of each. Take a wooden skewer and squiggle through so that the syrup ripples through the ice ream, Cover and put in the deep freeze till set. Enjoy!

My Buddy

Hey guys! Familiar with these goodies? Haha.. guess what!? It's time to meet up with my buddy. I've got these lovely goodies from her. All are yummy indeed! Again, we've a fantastic day with lots of chatting, laughing, walking and shopping. She had given me a wonderful day with lots of baking experience and advises. I was truly overwhelmed by her friendship! Brilliant thanks to you, buddy!

Peanut Butter Buns

I still feel that this water roux recipe is great! With the same recipe, it could makes different kind of sweet buns including this peanut butter buns. There turn out real soft! I used my homemade sugar free peanut butter so I find it not sweet enough. Please use a good peanut butter like the brand of PLANTERS (oh..I love it) or any organic 100% pure peanut butter for better texture.

Ingredients: (A) 210g bread flour / 56g plain flour / 20g milk powder / 42g sugar / 1/2 teaspoon salt / 6g instant yeast (B) 30g eggs / 85g water / 84g water roux (refer to water roux recipe) (C) 22g butter (D) some peanut butter and chopped peanut

Recipe for the water dough "water roux": Cook 125 water with 25g bread flour at medium low heat, keep stirring until it become thicken and no lumps left (please don't over cooked it!). If you've a candy thermometer, measure it until the temperature turn to 65C then turn of the heat. I didn't measure it with thermometer, so I cook it until like a baby porridge. Transfer to a clean bowl and cover with a cling wrap to avoid skin forming. The amount of water roux here would be more than a recipe required, please according to the amount of the recipe required and do not add more or less.

How I made it:

1. Put all the ingredients (A) and (B) for kneading until it form a dough. Add the butter (C) little by little and continue the kneading process until smooth and elastic and the dough no more sticking at the side of the mixing bowl (this method for dough hook kneading mixer, if using bread machine, add all the ingredients (A)(B) and (C) together. Let it proof for 40 minutes in a clean bowl cover with cling wrap.
2. Divide the dough into 9 portions. Round them into small balls and rest for 10 minutes.
3. Flatten the dough with your a rolling pin and roll it out in longish shape. Spread some peanut butter jam and use a sharp knife to cut 4 to 5 lines then twist it and tight them up. Place them into muffin cups and proof for 40 minutes.
4. Egg wash the top of the doughs and sprinkle some chopped peanuts.
5. Bake at a 180C preheated oven for 15 minutes. Enjoy!

Durian Butter Cake

I seldom bake recently, life without baking is just so boring and dull. I found an excuse to bake a butter cake last week that had shared with my cousin and family. Although it's just a simple cake, it makes me feel better touching the kitchen stuffs. After the first attempt on berries butter cake, I would like to give it another try on durian flavour, and also took this opportunity to use a new cake mould. I'm not sure it's called bundt mould or something else, correct me if I'm wrong. Beside berries, durian is also one of my favorite fruit. So, I came out with this durian butter cake. The taste is very flavourful indeed with the slightly moist and rich texture. I feel the bundt cake mould make it looks prettier rather than just baking in a flat baking tray. Hope you will like this recipe of Kevin Chai. His recipes is quite simple and nice. Don't forget to use the sweet and flavourful durian and you will get the result.

Recipe:

250g butter

170g caster sugar

4 eggs

250g durian flesh

230g self raising flour

1/8 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1. Grease a baking mould. Preheat oven to 170C.
2. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition.
3. Stir in durian flesh. Fold in sifted flour, baking powder and soda. Mix until well blended.
4. Spoon batter into prepared mould. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes or until cooked.

Pork Floss Bun

I've seen many blogger make this roll up bun that looks really interesting and some of the bakery shops are selling it too! It's just happened that I've some left over pork floss, so why not give it a try from the recipe 65度汤肿面包.

The buns was topped with lots of sesame that taste really good. Not to forget the pork floss, it's absolutely a great combo with the mayo spreading on the buns. I find that rolling up the bun like a swiss roll makes it looks prettier and very appetizing! Recipe for a roll makes 5 buns: 195g bread flour / 90g plain flour / 12g milk powder / 30g caster sugar / 6g salt / 6g yeast / 60g beaten eggs / 65g water / 75g water dough / 45g unsalted butter

** some mayo, sesame and chopped spring onion Recipe for the water dough "water roux": Cook 125g water with 25g bread flour at medium low heat, keep stirring until it become thicken and no lumps left. If you've a candy thermometer, measure it until the temperature turn to 65C then turn of the heat. I didn't measure it with thermometer, so I cook it until like a baby porridge. Transfer to a clean bowl and cover with a cling wrap to avoid skin forming. You will not use up all, measure 75g for the recipe.

How I make it:

1. Put all the dough ingredients together for kneading except butter until it become a dough. Add in butter and continue the kneading process until it become smooth and elastic and the dough no more sticky or sticking at the side of the mixing bowl. Let it proof for 40 minutes in a clean bowl cover with cling wrap.
2. Roll out the dough into a rectangular shape and place on a baking tray. Use a fork to poke some holes on the dough and let it proof for 15 minutes.
3. Egg wash the dough and sprinkle some sesame and chopped spring onion. Continue to proof for 15 minutes.
4. Bake at 180C for 15 minutes. Don't over cook it, otherwise the dough will become tough not soft.
5. Spread some mayo on the bread and top with the pork floss evenly. Roll it up like a swiss roll tightly. Cut out 5 portions and spread some mayo at both side of each bread. Coated the side with lots of pork floss. Enjoy!

Berries Butter Cake

Mum bought me another recipe book named "I Love Butter Cake". Oppsss! that's not me, I don't really fancy about butter cake, but I've got to make it to show my appreciation to mum and of course it could be served to someone who is a big fan of butter cake. After read through the whole recipe book, I choose this Berries Butter Cake just because I love berries.

It's actually a recipe of "Apple Blueberry Butter Cake" but I feel like adding some leftover berries from my freezer. I used blueberry, raspberry and blackberry for this butter cake. For those who don't like the bit of seeds from the raspberries, better use apple and blueberry. I believe it will taste good too! For me, the soury and the bit of sweetness and juicy of the berries make the butter cake light and refreshing. Finally, I find myself quite like butter cake. Thanks Mum!

Recipes:

250g butter

200g caster sugar

5 eggs

200g plain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

3 green apple (peel, cored, diced)

100g blueberry

** 1 orange zest or lemon zest

Greese and line 20cm (8inch) baking tin. Preheat oven to 180C. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Fold in shifted flour and baking powder, mix well. Spread batter into prepared tin. Sprinkle apples over the batter and spoon blueberry filling over the apples. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes or until cooked.

Happy New Year!

Happy 2010 ! My first baking of the year got nothing special to share but just a simple cookie recipe that came with some compliments from my family members and friends during the Xmas season. This is a very simple recipe which you could make the dough in advance and bake it whenever you want to refill your cookie jar. It could be shaped in any fancy patterns before frozen. I've no idea how to name this frozen cookie, please give it a good name if you can. Here are two type of flavours, plain and cocoa that go with some pecans and chocolate chips. People who had tasted love the texture and it serve well with a cup of coffee or tea. Freeze more doughs and make it as a little gift in a rush in NO TIME!!

Beat 110g butter with 50g icing sugar until lightly pale and fluffy. Add in the 150g shifted flour and 25g cocoa powder if you like to make cocoa flavour, otherwise replace the 25g with plain flour. Add some pecan, walnut or chocolate chips but not too little or too much. You want to taste the crunchiness and also easy to cut out in pieces once the dough harden from the freezer. I added 30g pecan and 30g chocolate chips into the mixture. Using a wooden spoon to mix until everything come together. Place half the cookie dough on a piece of cling film. For square shape, I used a 1 1/2 inches height baking tray to make an even square shape. Wrap the cookie dough with the cling film in a longish shape about 1 1/2 inches even size then pushing it to the side of the baking tray, press it and pushing another side again until you've got an even size of square loaf of cookie dough. Place in the freezer until harden. Cut out the cookie with your desirable thickness and bake in the oven at 170C for about 15 minutes. Keep in the cookie jar when it completely cool. Place a piece or two at the side of your coffee or tea, enjoy!