Brownies

Honestly I'm not a fans of Brownies, but I definitely a fans of chocolate. I "think" I have never try brownies before but definitely have seen and heard before. The first sight I look at brownies, my brain is telling me that this black block must be a very sweet and hard dessert.

But it proven me wrong after I bake this very own brownies and give it a taste & I in love with brownies now. I read tips of baking a brownies from other blogger - do not over bake a brownies if not it will become a chocolate cake. Brownies should be soft and fudgy in the inside and firm texture on the outside.

This is my first attempt baking the brownies and I'm quite satisfied with the result. The brownies has a nice firm texture on the surface, inside is moist, soft and fudgy. I can't help but took a second piece in one day and continue another piece on the next day is still taste as good.

The instruction given baking time is from 30 to 35 min, I bake mine for 30 min as I halve the original recipe.

*Recipe shown below have already halve.

Ingredient:

• 80gm dark chocolate
• 87.5gm butter
• 130 brown sugar
• 65gm flour
• 30gm cocoa powder
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C.
2. Line the baking tray/tin with baking paper on the base and side.
3. Put the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the base of the bowl touch the water) Leave until melted and smooth.
4. Remove from the heat. Add the sugar and stir until well incorporated.
5. Sift flour, cocoa powder and add into the mixture and stir until well incorporated. Finally, stir in the eggs and mix until thick and smooth.
6. Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking tray/tin and bake in the preheated oven for about 30 to 35 minutes, or until flaky on the top but still soft in the center. *Be careful not to over bake otherwise the edges will become hard and crunchy.
7. Leave to cool completely and cut desired size into pieces.  

Mushroom Feast Spaghetti

Mushroom remind me of my childhood hair style. When I was a kid, I don't get my freedom to choose the hair style I want because my mum always insist my hair to be cut short on the back and front. When I flash back my photo album, the first sight into my mind is "mushroom head".

Anyhow I really an mushroom fans after all. U can offer me any kind of mushroom and I will not hesitate to reject it. I know I know, even if u feed me a poison mushroom, I might not aware of it.. Hahaha..

Those mushroom can be easily found in the wet market or supermarket. I bought the button mushroon, Shiitake, Bunashimeji (Brown Beech) & Bunapi (White Beech) and prepare to cook a mushroom feast with tomatoes gravy spaghetti. I can't think of other healthier sauce for the spaghetti.

I know there are other choice like Creamy mushroom but it is just so sinful. Any recommendation of delicious and healthy sauce to share? ;)

Bon appetit!
Portion: 1 person

Ingredient:

• Spaghetti
• 1 tbsp Cooking Oil
• ½ tsp garlic
• 1 tsp shaoxing wine
• Button, Shiitake, Bunashimeji & Bunapi Mushroom

Sauce:

• Some salt and pepper to taste 
• ½ cup tomatoes sauce (I bought the pre-make Can from the supermarket)
• 2 tbsp tomatoes ketchup (I used Maggie brand)

Method:

1. Fill a pot with water and sprinkler some salt in, let it come to a boil and place the spaghetti in. Cook until the spaghetti is soft enough to chew (I prefer the soft texture, up to your own preference)
2. Combine the tomatoes sauce with the ketchup and set aside.
3. Heat up a pan, pour 1 tbsp of cooking oil. Put the garlic in, fry till garlic turn slightly brown, add in all the mushroom and shaoxing wine, stir fry a few minutes. Pour in the tomatoes and ketcup sauce and give a good stir. Add in the cook spaghetti and combine with the sauce. Remove it from the pan and serve in a plate. 

Spaghetti cum Salmon

I want to spend my weekend to cook a decent meal for myself instead of tabao (buy back) from the market/coffeeshop again.

From Monday to Friday, I have been having my lunch and dinner outside. I find it really unhealthy but I do not have the time to cook on the weekday since after work my whole body is already exhausted.

Bon appetit!

Portion: 1 person

Ingredient:

• Spaghetti
• Small Tomatoes
• ½  tsp garlic
• Button or Shiitake Mushroom
• Lettuce
• Salmon Fish

Sauce:

• 2 tbsp Cooking Oil
• 1 tsp soy Sauce
• ½ cup tomatoes sauce (I bought the pre-make Can from the supermarket)
• 2 tbsp tomatoes ketchup (I used Maggie brand)

 Method:

1. Fill a pot with water and sprinkler some salt in, let it come to a boil and place the spaghetti in. Cook until the spaghetti is soft enough to chew (I prefer the soft texture, up to your preference)
2. After spaghetti is cook, let's prepare for the sauce. Combine the tomatoes & ketcup sauce and the small tomatoes together. 
3. Heat up a pan, pour 1 tbsp of cooking oil. Put the garlic in, fry till garlic turn slightly brown, add in the mushroom and soy sauce, stir fry a few minutes. Pour in the tomatoes and ketcup sauce and give a good stir. Add in the cook spaghetti and combine with the sauce. Remove it from the pan and serve in a plate.  
4. For the fish - Heat up a pan with 1 tbsp of cooking oil and pan fry the salmon till well cook.  

Traditional Marble Cake

My plan suppose to bake banana chiffon cake but the banana turn brown and it has a kind of weird smell so I change my plan to bake marble cake. It has been on my baking list but just didn't find time to bake it.

This recipe required 8 eggs and to be separated the yolks and whites, but there are two egg which the yolk break where I have to quarantine and keep aside for other used.

There are no marble effect at all, one glance at it. A big mistake which I made it, the step should be pour the yellow batter, follow by cocoa batter, than yellow batter and lastly cocoa batter and using the skewer to swirl around the batter to make the marble effect.

BUT I pour all the yellow batter and follow by the cocoa batter and swirl. In the end the cocoa batter all gather in the center. -_-" 

Recipe from http://www.thelittleteochew.com/2012/04/old-fashioned-marble-cake.html

Ingredient: 

• 8 large eggs, separated
• 255g castor sugar
• 340g unsalted butter, softened
• 255g all purpose flour
• 1 ½ tsps baking powder
• 1 ½ tsps pure vanilla extract
• 2 tbsps good quality cocoa powder
• ¼ tsp salt

Method:

1. Preheat oven at 160°C with a wire rack in the middle. Line an 8-inch round cake tin with parchment, butter and flour. Sift flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
2. Cream butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment till light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar till light. Gradually add this into the butter and beat on medium speed till just incorporated.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites till stiff peaks form. With a spatula, fold in the meringue into the egg yolk mixture in 3-4 batches. Add in the dry ingredients gradually until just incorporated.
4. Scoop out 1/4* of the batter in a separate bowl. Sieve cocoa powder over it and fold to mix well. Pour batters into tin, alternating between the two mixtures. Start with the yellow batter and end with the cocoa mixture. Rap pan on counter several times to eliminate air bubbles. With a long skewer, swirl (sparingly) around the batter to create the marble effect.
5. Bake for 40-55 minutes or until a tester inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
6. Cool on wire rack completely before serving. Cake keeps at room temperature up to 3 days and can be frozen up to 3 month.

Cranberry Shortcake Cookies

It has been a hot trend recently at my office as two of my colleague hooked up in baking. And we are the lucky ones who get the cookies, cake and pastry to try.
One of my colleague who just started attract to baking is getting progress on making the cookies, I love the cookies that she bake. So yummy..  
I bought a box of dried cranberry few month ago and didn't know what to do with it as I can't finish so I decided to made into cookies.

Ingredient:

1 cup berry (chop or blend into small pieces)

113g butter

50g sugar

2 Egg Yolks

188gm flour

Pinch of salt

½ tbsp of milk

Method:

1. Beat together the butter and sugar until pare and creamy
2. Add the egg yolk one at a time, beating well after each addition
3. Add the flour, salt and dried cranberry and the milk, beat until the ingredient are just started to come together
4. Stop the mixer and finish mixing the dough with hands on a work surface.
5. Divid the dough into two potion and flatten into a disk (circle) shape and cover with cling wrap, refrigerate for at least 2 hour or overnight
6. Cut out cookies with your desired cookies dough cutter and bake at 170°C for 10-12 minute or until just golden brown around the edges