TBB: Chocolate Pavarotti with Wicked Good Ganache

I woke up early on Saturday morning (which is like once in a blue moon..hahaha..cos Sat is like my catch up sleep day) and when I saw Raymond posted a photo of his freshly baked Chocolate Pavarotti Cake on our FB group, I knew I had to make it right away (this was like 3 weeks ago...figured it was good to bake earlier too as I wanted to bake Chinese New Year cookies during this weekend).

I got all my ingredients ready. I found white chocolate in my pantry just enough to make this cake.  When I heated up my white chocolate, it didn't really melt into flowly liquid..in fact..it turned into a dry soft mass.  It's Valhorna..so I know it has to have cocoa butter in it. Maybe it's dried up? *shrugs*.. Since I had some cocoa butter on hand (see the small container..), I placed a teaspoon of it into the soft dry mass and immediately it turned the white chocolate into liquid.  Problem solved!   Next the boiling water + cocoa powder mixture - done.

Measure eggs & water mixture and add vanilla.

Oh..missed out taking some photos.. that is the mixing of the dry and wet ingredients.

And placed into oven to bake.  

It's a very easy and fast put together cake.

While the cake is baking, time to make the ganache. 

Melt the chocolate + 3/4 tsp of secret ingredient X + heavy cream in microwave.

Stir into a smooth ganache. 

Oooooh... X-hot! I like! :D 

Cake is all ready after 40mins.  

Measure the height of the cake. 

Then frost with ganache.  Lazy to take out my piping tip.

I just used a spatula to swirl it around.  Photo below, the cake is just out from the fridge.

I put in the fridge for a while to set the ganache.

After, I found the cake very dull & boring.

Saw some coloured hundreds thousands rice (what is it called? I forgot!) in my pantry and put it along the swirl giving it a lollipop look.  Just like makeup..you only need a bit to brighten you up! (Like the Chinese saying - "There is no ugly women, only lazy women!"...and sometimes forgetful woman) 

I think it is quite pretty now.  

I never thought a short 1 layer cake can look this pretty.

Before this,  I only had eyes for tall cakes.

Now I changed my mind after seeing how some decorations can prettify the cake. :)  

Sliced and ready for taste testing! 

Sooo GOOD!  

Very light, tender and moist crumb. 

Very chocolaty as well!

I was slightly disappointed that the X-factored ganache when paired with the chocolate cake - seemed to only just 'tickle' the tongue..  The cake had washed out the X. 

Honestly, secret ingredient X can remain anonymous because to me even without, the cake with plain ganache is still a Winner imo! I would definitely be making this cake often. 

I gave out some slices to my friend and colleagues and none of them came back to me about the heat in the ganache. Some said they didn't even taste it!  Some commented that there was this annoying aftertaste sensation on tongue and they can't quite make out what it was (I didn't mention the secret ingredient X till later).... Perhaps our taste buds have been de-sensitised.... knowing how spicy South East Asia's cuisine can be..  :)

Milk Bread

This week is catch up week from TBB. Since I have nothing to catch up,  I decided to make this fast & easy Milk Bread from WoksofLife.  Usually I'll bake the Hokkaido Milk Bread version using Tang Zhong method.  But this recipe intrigues me because it uses heavy cream as well as cake flour. So made me curious as to how it would taste.

This is a very fast and easy recipe.  Forgiving too since I forgot to add egg but the bread still turned out very well.  Very soft & milky. It's more milky than the Hokkaido Milk Bread.  So if you like your bread very milky in flavor, this is the bread for you.

I have to bake it once again tonight with missing ingredient (egg!!!)..and see the difference. :)

TBB: Swedish Apricot Walnut Bread

Baking the Panettone has pushed me into bread-making mode. And this bread recipe looks simple compared to Panettone.. I mean if I could make that so many steps and so many days Panettone bread, I can make any bread isn't it? 

So I got ready to make the biga (at the same time I made the gingersnaps).  Due to unforeseen circumstances, I had to change flour from KA to this Organic one (from US so it says on the packaging).  The unforeseen circumstances was due to the fact that I found a worm (translucent orangey worm) wiggling in my sifter after sifting the KA bread flour..which I just bought for the Kouigns!  And I opened another new packet and found strings of eggs sitting at the sides of the paper packaging. So no more KA bread flour for the time being... 

I mixed in the rye flour I had on hand.  Rose says (in bracket) that Pumpernickel flour is course rye flour so which means fine ground rye flour is also ok right? Same family...like fat or thin, tall or short, different yet the same?  So the only difference is course or fine rye right? Logically is so, correct?  Or so I thought!!    

BTW,  I've never eaten pumpernickel bread before, but this Barney Pumpernickel Bread song keep singing in my mind whenever I read or say the word "pumpernickel"!?!  (..Barney says "it is a very funny name for a very tasty bread...yum yum pumpernickel, pumpernickel bread..")  It's so annoying to have it in my mind but I cannot help it.........argghhh!!!!   

Maybe I have to share it with all of you....here watch it with me... LOL!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDfHap7uwHE

Nice Song? So you all know the different types of bread now? Good..!  hahaha

Back to my Swedish Bread....

Here's the biga to be rested in fridge for 3 days.

After 3 days it looked more fluffy and relaxed. 

 Mixed in the with rest of the flour, knead and after add raisins and walnuts. Let it proof for a day, overnight in the fridge.  And I wondered why my dough is grey in color?  Rose's bread in her book is white in color! So I must have used the wrong flour..I was a bit disappointed at this point.  But Barney in that video was holding a dark colored bread...!

The next day, I took it out and shaped it and fold the top corners down into triangle.

For once I understood instructions perfectly.....but I had to use the wrong type of flour! *shake head*... 

Then I placed the apricots in one straight line. I wanted to squeeze in as many as possible..which is only 7 pieces. 

After I rolled it down from top to bottom and pinched the ends. So proud of myself at this point! 

I proofed the dough in a basket, no particular reason but because I just bought it and wanted to use it. LOL!

After 1 hour, I thought the bread should be ok to be baked now. Most likely the bread is going to be headed to the bin soon because I used the wrong flour and proofing longer is just wasting my time.

So I made some slashes..but I think not deep enough. And baked as stated. The dough didn't raise up a lot in the oven either...and I was like pouty-faced.  

I didn't' wait for the bread to cool down for 2 hours before cutting. After 45mins, I cut the bread just to check the inside and to take photos for documentation before I threw it away.  

But after cutting, I realised the bread inside looked good. I took a bite and hey, it tasted good too!  I was very surprised!!!  The grey color didn't matter at all. :)  I cut a slice each for everyone to try (except my son of course..he doesn't want try new food, only his usual routine and food).  Everyone in my family said it is good and tasty. They like the apricots and raisins and walnut combination too.   It will go very well with cheese and wine.  Now I regretted cutting it so early, I should have freeze the bread and eat it during weekend with cheese and wine when I have more time to savour and enjoy it.  

Will definitely bake it again next time! 

I posted on FB and Kristina explained to me the difference between course rye and fine rye and the effects. Raymond said he used rye flour too. It's good to have alpha bakers as my friends on FB, I feel like we are just like a family. :) I'm envious Kristina has her own flour grinder. I can't wait to see how she grinds her rye berries into pumpernickel (..er...Oh Nooo..not that Barney song again in my mind...!). 

..Yum yum ... Swedish Apricot Walnut Bread, ..yum yum... Golden Panettone, ..yum yum... tortillas, ..yum yum... pita pocket, ..yum yum.. bagel,  ..yum yum... white bread, ..yum yum.. pumpernickel, pumpernickel bread....

TBB: Gingersnaps

This is a very easy recipe.  Quick & Easy!!  Took me long time to figure out what Q&E was!  When I first saw it on Marie's blog, I kept thinking what is Q&E?  I know what Q&A stands for, but just not Q&E.  Later Marie explained what Q&E was and I was like "Hai, That's it!? Why didn't i think of it?"  Also I finally remembered to put the nice picture right on top so that when I post my link, people don't see my mixer or mixing bowl as the first picture. :)  (Catherine, I remembered, did you?)

Since this is a fairly easy recipe, not many steps and not many photos either.

First I melt the butter and syrup and let it cool.

Then add to the flour mixture and mix. 

After split the dough into 3 packs and put into the fridge to rest.

In the mean time while the dough is in the fridge, I stir fried vegetables (baby bak choy)...

And had my dinner - vegetables & herbal chicken soup.  

Herbal Chicken Soup

After dinner, the dough in the fridge is ready for baking. I rolled the dough 10g each.  I don't like big cookies. Big cookies scares me. Here, we like small cookies, bite size, so it is more Kawaii and also easier to eat.  When I first ordered cookie cutters from US, I was shocked to see the size of the 5" cookie cutters when they arrived...but now I'm getting used to it..but they still sit in my cupboard unused...

I baked as instructed. But after the cookies cooled down, I took a bite and tasted like raw dough inside. Maybe I'm not used to chewy cookies? Anyway..I gave my daughter a piece and she said the same thing too.  

So I put them back into the oven again for another 5 mins to crisp up entirely.  

Tasted very good on the day they were baked..the entire cookie so crisp and crunchy. These are now my husband's favourite and he is not a cookie person.  So that says a lot doesn't it?  

However, after 2 days later, the cookies turned quite hard on outside but still crisp on inside..LOL! But my husband still likes them....because he is still eating them while watching TV.  

But he said "Wow..your cookies so hard like rock now.. but it is ok still taste good...but those with dentures cannot eat these for sure".. 

My daughter took a bite and said "Hahaha.. ya Mom..cookies so hard now..hard to bite into it... but I still like it..".  

Makes me wonder though, do you think the both of them just saying it to curry favor and make me happy only?  Hmm....

Maybe I should drop the extra eggwhite and see what happens next time.  Actually, I quite like the cookies now the way it is, they are hard when I bite into it but they melt the moment they are in my mouth.  I only wish they had more spice - now seems to be no 'kick' as the ginger flavor is subtle. Perhaps I'm used to gingerbread cookies where there are more spices added. 

I think these hard cookies now will be great as a base for cheesecake too....

THE END

TBB: Golden Orange Panettone

I'm not very familiar with Panettone. I have seen them during Christmas at the stores, but I have not bought even once since they are usually expensive.  The only time I ate it was when someone gave it to me and the other time when I went Italy many years back but that was before I bake, so I didn't take note of what Panettone was supposed to be like and I have since forgotten exactly how it was.  

Since this recipe has so many steps, I decided to double up my recipe so that in case I fail one dough, I'll still have the next dough as a backup. 

On Friday night, I made the Biga (somehow I lost the photos of my Biga)..that was the easiest part..LOL!  And I left in it my fridge to rest for 3 days.  I used a mixture of King Arthur's BF & Pillsbury APF.  

On Monday I mixed the with rest of the ingredients and whisked it into liquid to make the Starter.

Then I sprinkled the rest of the dry ingredient on top of the starter and left in the fridge till next day.

I came home and placed the rest of the liquid ingredients and knead with mixer. 

Until it turned like this..shiny and glossy..and when you pull it..it forms a really thin membrane...so that's when I think it is ready to rest..

Then I added the raisins & citrus peel....I couldn't find any orange oil and was too late for me to order from Amazon, so I used orange zest instead and soaked it with Triple Sec/Raisins as instructed in the recipe.  

My mixer bowl was too big for the fridge. So I  had to split the dough into 2 batches at this point. 

I made markings..

After 1 hour, the dough expanded really quickly..and I left in fridge for 30 mins and then another 30mins to harden...I had to shorten the time because it was passed my bedtime...

So after I brought out the dough and turned it 2 more times and then put them into ziplock bags. 

Into ziplock bags to rest for 2 days.  I don't quite understand why I had to press the dough 1hr and the next 2hrs later. I did it anyway..but  I  might have pressed too hard cos my dough flatted into a disc instead of a round. LOL!

On Thursday night after work, I took out the dough from the fridge. It came off quite easily, I didn't have to cut open my ziplock bag. 

I split each dough into 4 even pieces and shaped into 3.5"x4" paper cups.

After my panettone baked.  The first 4 on the left I tend with foil after 20mins and they looked 'fairer'. Also it didn't raised up much because I placed them on baking sheet  on top of baking stone. 

I tried to sprinkle some pearl sugar on one just to test out. I regretted not doing it to the rest, should have sprinkled all of them with pearl sugar! 

The next 4 on the right I tend with foil after 30mins and thus they looked darker..almost burnt.  But they raised up more because I placed them directly on baking stone.  Also this time I used boiling water instead of ice..boiling water seems faster to create steam.

I was a bit disappointed because I felt that these panettone didn't look like the commercial ones I often see on photos or pictures. They looked weird to me.  I was too tired to wait for the mini Panettone-s to cool down as it was almost 2am. I took them to my bedroom with me..hahaha.. yes..literally..because if I leave them out in open in non-aircon room, esp. at night, the stupid house lizard will eat the bread!  (ya..ask me how I know!..lizards now eat bread and other food that has sugar.. and not insects or mosquitoes anymore!). I told myself I would just lie down for a short while on my bed and wait for them to cool and put close the lid of the container I placed them in.  But somehow the next moment when I woke up it was already morning..time to go to work. LOL!  

I got ready for work, quickly checked on the Panettones.. and I took photos too..with the morning sun..:)  And cut them into half. One from each batch.  

Inside of the bread.. to see the texture.

I was quite disappointed, thinking to myself why they look like bread.  I was expecting them to be fluffier and with more holes like Chiffon textured bread...

I kept thinking about what I might have done wrong on my way to work. Nearing office, I realised I forgot to put on makeup. I never have the habit of carrying any makeup with me except for lipgloss. So no choice, naked face for the whole day..well, at least I had my sunblock on.  As long as I don't scare people with my pale white face...should be ok.. LOL!

I voiced my disappointment on our FB group...and fellow alpha bakers Pat, Monica, Kristina, Nicola & Vicki re-assured me that I got my Panettone right and it is bread and not whatever I was imagining it to be. LOL!  That made me so happy. Kristina posted photo of her Panettone, so I was reassured. And after it didn't really mattered if I had makeup on or not that whole day...Oo 

I brought 1/4 slice each to work to taste test because I can't eat anything in the morning. 

No chocolate to drizzle on.  (sorry, I couldn't wait and took a bite..so please ignore the smaller slice. LOL!

I like how it tasted. It taste like sweet bread with delicate crumb. But I would have preferred more raisins though. I like the presence of citrus peel (I like them in fruitcakes too).   My daughter loves it, she is able to eat one mini loaf all by herself.  She said the flavor tasted just like the ones we had in Italy but probably not as soft. She added that if she remembered correctly, we were able to pull the bread out and it would tear like cotton-candy soft like texture...

Honestly, I cannot remember.  

This to me tasted like normal sweet bread (brioche-like)...of course with more flavor, richer and nice yellow color.  So I'm not sure if I will make it again though - all the hard work, and stress and not enough sleep..lol! Probably easier to just buy off the shelves. 

However, if there is any short cut to making them??  I wouldn't mind making it again... as long as the process is faster....:)

More photos.. after working on the dough for a week, I had to take more photos and post them!! lol..

TBB: Black & Blueberry Pie

This is my first time making other fruit pie (I've only ever made apple pie)...so I was looking forward to making it.  Making the crust in food processor was easy.  I read both methods.. the rubbing in flour etc..sounded like it will take forever, ..thus taking out the food processor from inside the cupboard seemed like a faster option.   I always like the faster option! :)  

My helper took this photo.. I don't know why she has to take from under my arm?!

I cropped of the rest of my arm because I saw some age spots...I don't think whitening cream will help.  So cropping off is a faster option. LOL!  

I used a 12" cake board to cut round.

Placed the frozen berries into the pie. The thing is I noticed that there were lots of ice stuck to the frozen berries..I tried to peel off as much as possible..but some are impossible to remove.  I wondered if they will make the pie more liquid? So I added 10g more of cornflour just in case.  

The decorating part of the pie was fun. I had pie dough left over and I had them all stuck to the rim of the pie ..I am a crust person...I like more crust.  Usually, when I eat any pie or tart or buns etc...i tend to throw away the inside and eat only the crust..and like baguette.. I only eat the crust if I can help it. :P  

I baked for 1 hr 5 mins ..and the pie juices was spitting at the side from that crack on the side (shaped like triangle.... can see?)  I took it out from the oven immediately..partly because I was worried about my oven more than the pie. 

I do not like sticky or oily oven... 

When I was turning my pie half way for even baking, the pie juices leaked out and that's why you see 3/4 of the pie had jam rim around it.  Ai ya..I regretted doing that..Next time I will not move my pie..!  

And the thing about that triangle shaped crack..while the pie was cooling, my itchy hand dug into the crack so I could taste some of the crust and juices.. BAD MOVE! Cos the juices start coming out from that crack....and onto my table! I had to tilt my pie to stop the flow.  At the same time I found out that the berry juice stains badly...I had to quickly clean off before the stain sets on my tabletop.  

A slice of pie 2-3 hours after it is baked.  Still soupy. I can see my blueberries still intact. 

Served with scoop of ice-cream. YUMMY!  

The next day!  

After the next day, the pie is all firmed up and no more soupy juices.

Made me wonder if it is because my room temperature is higher than the rest of alpha bakers', so upon standing in cooler temperature, theirs would have firmed up faster?  Mine needed like a night in the fridge to do that..

Pie with ice cream again!!

We can't get enough of it. So YUMMY! 

Besides apple pie, now I have to say this is my next favorite pie. Expensive though..the black & blueberries are expensive even frozen ones...so can only make it occasionally. :)