Double Chocolate Brownies

Came across this recipe online.  It claims to copycat starbucks brownies.. I'm not sure if it taste the same because I've never tried the ones from Starbucks before, but this sure taste good!  Extremely chocolately and literally melt in the mouth!

I made some modification as the original recipe seems 'too heavy' to me.

Ingredients

220g unsalted butter

100g castor sugar

70g brown sugar

2tsp vanilla extract

4 eggs

150g plain flour - sieved

100g cocoa powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2tsp salt

1 bar 70% dark chocolate - chopped and spilt equally into 2 portions.

30g almond nut - chopped

Method

*Lined the base and sides of the 8" square tin or 7" X 13" rectangular tin.

*Preheat oven at 180C.

1.  Cream butter, castor sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract until well combined.

2.  Sieve in all dry ingredients (except the chocolate and nuts) into a mixing bowl.

3.  Add in the sieved ingredients in small portion (i added 1 tbsp at a time) to the butter mixture and cream till well combined. *Note: the batter will turn out really really thick, almost like a soft dough!

4. Add 1 portion of the chopped chocolate and nuts to the mixture.  You can use the back of the spatula to mix in.

5.  Spread the batter to the baking tin and sprinkle the last portion on the chopped chocolates over it, pressing it lightly down to the batter.

6.  Send to bake for 30min.

This is the nuts and chocolate I used.

All ready to send to the oven!

Freshly baked!

Cut into smaller pieces, all ready to serve :)

Famous Amos Chocolate Chips Cookies

I got the original recipe from the Baking's Corner on Facebook.  Super yummy!!  Not 100% alike, but the aroma and crunchiness is almost there, another sure keeper!

Ingredients

*yields 3 trays of cookies

100g white sugar

100g brown sugar

110g butter

100ml canola oil

1tsp coffee oil - Essential!  This is what gave the extinctive FA taste! (can be purchased from Phoon Huat, or replaced with coffee emulco)

1/2 egg 

1/2tbsp milk

250g plain flour - sieve

1/2tsp salt

1/2tsp cream of tartar

1/2tsp bicarbonate of soda

1/2tsp vanilla extract

150g chocolate chips

Method

1.  Cream butter and sugar till well combined, add in egg, vanilla extract, milk, canola and coffee oil.  

2.  Combine all dry ingredients together, and add in gradually into the mixture until well combine.

3.  Preheat oven to 170C.

4.  On a baking tray lined with baking paper, drop teaspoonful of the mixture on  it, leaving a slight gap in between each cookies (they will spread slightly during baking).

5.  Bake the cookies for 12-15mins, or until they turn light brown.

Original recipe from Baking's Corner.

All ready to send to the oven!

All baked!!

1 1/2 full jars of cookies!!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This this the coffee oil that I used.  It can be purchased from Phoon Huat.  Alternatively, you can used coffee emulco.

Another batch baked :)

A colleague ordered a pack from me, and I have 2 jars for my crazy kids :)

Assorted buns - Japanese Milk Dough with Tangzhong Method

I have heard so much about this dough recipe, Japanese Milk Bread, aka Hokkaido Bread, especially that the bread will stay soft and fluffy for days!  Finally, I have the time to made it today :)

My girl said it's indeed much softer than the usual buns I made!

Dough recipe adapted from here :)

Ingredients

Tangzhou
25 g bread flour
60ml water
60ml milk

Dough

2 tsp instant yeast
120ml warm milk
350g bread flour
60g sugar
1 1/2 tbsp milk powder (I used coffeemate)
1 tsp salt
1 large egg - room temp
40g butter - room temp

Cooking Instructions

Tangzhong
1.  Mix all ingredients together and stir until there is no lumps left. 

2.  Put over medium heat and stir until the mixture thickens. 

3.  Remove from fire, cover and set aside to cool.

Dough

1.  Add yeast to the warm milk and allow the yeast to foamed for 10min.

2.  Add (in this sequence) the cooled tangzhong, milk & yeast mixture, egg, flour, sugar, milk powder, salt into the bread tin.  Transfer to bread maker, set to menu 8 (dough menu).

3.  After 10min, add in the butter.

4.  Once the dough is ready, remove from the tin, punch the dough to release the carbon monoxide and you may start shaping your buns!

5.  When you are done shaping them, leave the buns to proof for another hour, then you can apply a layer of eggwash and send the buns to bake at 170C for 12-15mins.

My cooked tangzhong

Covered up and set aside to cool.

Dough all ready for shaping!

One of the braiding method that I used today 😉

Done with shaping and set aside for final proofing!

All done! :)

Soft & fluffy texture!

Coffee Golden Sponge Cake

The Chocolate Golden Sponge Cake that I made the previous night was so well received and yummy, I need to make another one tonight because it was all wiped out by the next day! :)

Tonight, it's coffee flavor!😋

Ingredients

*yields a 6" cake

50g butter 

50g cake flour

1tsp coffee powder

1tsp coffee oil (acts as flavor enhancer, can omit if don't have)

3 egg yolks

55g milk

3 egg whites (A size)

50g caster sugar

6g corn starch

Method

1. Preheat oven at 140C.
2. Prepare a cake pan with removable base, don’t need to grease or line with baking paper.  Do not use a non-stick pan.  Wrap with aluminium foil as the cake will be baked by waterbath.
3. Sieve the cake flour and coffee powder together,  Set aside.
4. Melt butter in a saucepan, once it melted and simmers, immediately add in the sieved ingredients (in #3) and quickly stir well to combine. 
5. Transfer the mixture to a bigger mixing bowl and add in milk & coffee oil.  Using a hand whisk, mix well to a smooth batter.  Then add in the egg yolks, 1 by 1, mixing well with each addition.  Set aside.
6. Mix sugar and corn starch together. 
7. Beat egg whites until foamy, then add in sugar and corn starch mixture gradually and continue beating until the whites reach soft peaks (meringue stand straight up with a little curve at the tip).
8. Using a hand whisk, mix the meringue into the yolk mixture via 3 batches.  Fold in the last batch with a spatula.  Fold until you do not see any meringue in the batter.
   *Note: the batter is more runny than the usual cake batter
9. Pour the batter into cake tin, from a high height (say, 30cm from baking tin), then tap the tin few times on the table top.  This will help to release the air bubbles in the mixture.
10. Send to bake at 140C for 25mins, then at 160C for another 25mins.
11. Once baked, remove the cake from the oven immediately and drop the tin from a high height(say 30cm).  This will help to prevent shrinkage. 
12. Invert the cake to cool completely before removing it from the tin via hand un-moulding method (just like how you would remove a chiffon cake).  If you want a smooth surface, you can invert on a non-stick frying pan/cookie tray.

Important tips for this recipe:

1. Bake it over low temperature first then increase higher temperature, and always bake it at the lower rack. 

2. You need to have stable meringue; soft peaks (meringue stand straight up with a little curve at the tip).

Chocolate Golden Sponge Cake

I was browsing the internet and chanced upon this recipe by Nasi Lemak Lover, it looks really good so I gave it a tried on the very same night.

Made some modification on the ingredients, temperature and also decide to bake via waterbath method instead.  I was really surprise when I sliced the cake...the texture is soooooooooooooo good!  Soft & fluffy like a Japanese Cheese Cake!

As the saying, stick to the good one!  This recipe is a keeper for sure!

Ingredients

*yields a 6" cake

50g butter 

50g cake flour

1tbsp cocoa powder

1/4tsp baking soda

1tsp coffee oil (acts as flavor enhancer, can omit if don't have)

3 egg yolks

55g milk

3 egg whites (A size)

50g caster sugar

6g corn starch

Method

1. Preheat oven at 140C.
2. Prepare a cake pan with removable base, don’t need to grease or line with baking paper.  Do not use a non-stick pan.  Wrap with aluminium foil as the cake will be baked by waterbath.
3. Sieve the cake flour, cocoa powder & baking soda together,  Set aside.
4. Melt butter in a saucepan, once it melted and simmers, immediately add in the sieved ingredients (in #3) and quickly stir well to combine. 
5. Transfer the mixture to a bigger mixing bowl and add in milk & coffee oil.  Using a hand whisk, mix well to a smooth batter.  Then add in the egg yolks, 1 by 1, mixing well with each addition.  Set aside.
6. Mix sugar and corn starch together. 
7. Beat egg whites until foamy, then add in sugar and corn starch mixture gradually and continue beating until the whites reach soft peaks (meringue stand straight up with a little curve at the tip).
8. Using a hand whisk, mix the meringue into the yolk mixture via 3 batches.  Fold in the last batch with a spatula.  Fold until you do not see any meringue in the batter.
   *Note: the batter is more runny than the usual cake batter
9. Pour the batter into cake tin, from a high height (say, 30cm from baking tin), then tap the tin few times on the table top.  This will help to release the air bubbles in the mixture.
10. Send to bake at 140C for 25mins, then at 160C for another 25mins.
11. Once baked, remove the cake from the oven immediately and drop the tin from a high height(say 30cm).  This will help to prevent shrinkage. 
12. Invert the cake to cool completely before removing it from the tin via hand un-moulding method (just like how you would remove a chiffon cake).  If you want a smooth surface, you can invert on a non-stick frying pan/cookie tray.

Important tips for this recipe:

1. Bake it over low temperature first then increase higher temperature, and always bake it at the lower rack. 

2. You need to have stable meringue; soft peaks (meringue stand straight up with a little curve at the tip).

Mocha Bread Loaf

Feeling lazy to bake yet hands itching to make something, so I made a bread loaf tonight, mocha flavor!!

This easy recipe yields a 1kg loaf, flaky & crunchy top and super soft on the inside!

• Ingredients
• 225ml warm water (45 C)
• 3 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 tsp yeast
• 1tbsp coffee powder
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 3 tbsp oil
• 1 tbsp coffee oil
• 400g bread flour
• 1 tsp salt

Method

1. Put water, sugar and yeast in the pan of the bread machine. Let the yeast dissolve and foam for 10 minutes. 
2. Then add oil, flour, coffee powder, cocoa powder and salt.
3. Select menu 1 (Basic menu), 1kg, heavy crust.

Coffee Butter Cookies

Another recipe to play around with cookie cutters! :)

Feedback from friends, colleagues & family - very very yummy & fragrant!

Ingredients
*This recipe yields me 3 trays of cookies

227g butter
170g sugar
1 egg
1.5 tsp coffee powder
1tsp coffee oil (may omit if don't have, thisis just to enhance the coffee aroma)
2tsp baking powder
1tsp vanilla extract
320g plain flour



Method
1. Preheat oven to 200C and lined baking tray.
2. Cream butter and sugar till well-combined, then add in beaten egg, coffee oil & vanilla essence gradually.
3. Sieve and mix in flour, coffee powder & baking powder, in 2 or 3 portions.  Mix in the last portion by hand and knead to a pliable dough.
4. DO NOT CHILL THE DOUGH
5. Roll, shape & cut the dough to your desired patterns.
6. Send each tray of cookies to bake for 8-10min or till the cookies turn light brown.

Super Soft Pandan Chiffon Cake

My old times buddy is another avid baker and she made us a chiffon when we met up yesterday.  It was so fragant and soft! She shared with me the recipe and I tried it today (with slight modification)!  This has to be the BEST chiffon cake that I ever baked!!

NOTE: this cake needs to be kept in a fridge as it contains coconut milk.

Ingredients

5 egg yolks

20g caster sugar

100g cake flour

1 tsp baking powder 

100 ml coconut milk

1 tsp pandan extract 

3 tbsp olive oil 

5 egg whites

60g caster sugar

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

Method

1.  Preheat oven to 150C.

2.  Beat the egg yolks and 20g sugar, then add in coconut milk, pandan extract, mix well. 

3.  Sieve in cake flour and baking powder into the egg yolk mixture, then add olive oil. Set aside.

4.  Beat the egg whites till foamy then  add cream of tartar. After mixing well, add the 60g sugar, 1/3 at a a time.  Continue beating until stiff peaks form.

5.  Spoon and mix in the meringue to the egg yolk mixture, in 3 batches.  Fold in the last portion with a spatula.  Be sure to fold until you don't see any meringue.

6.  Pour the batter to an un-greased tube tin, tap on table top few times to release air bubbles.

7.  Send to bake for 1 hr

7.  Once done, remove from oven and invert to cool.

The pandan extract that i used

Matcha Charcoal Ogura

Meeting up my old times buddies today, so I decided to bake them a nice ogura :)
Modified this from my first successful Ogura recipe :)

Ingredients
(A)
5 egg yolks
1 whole egg
1/4 tsp salt
40g canola oil
90g milk
90g plain flour

(B)
5egg whites
100g castor sugar
1/4 tsp cream of tartar

(C)

2tsp matcha powder

2tsp charcoal powder

Method

1. Preaheat oven at 160C
2. Lined the bottom of a 7; square tine or 8" round tin. *will be using waterbath method , so do not use a tin with removable base!
   For (A): 
3. Beat egg yolks, whole egg, salt, oil & milk with hand whisk, until fluffy.
4. Sieve in flour then mix it up until well combined.
   For (B):
5. Beat egg white, cream of tartar & castor sugar until firm peaks form.
6. Using a hand whisk, mix 1/3 of (B) mixture at a time, into mixture (A).
7. Switch to a spatula to lift batter from bottom to fold.  Be sure the mixture is well combined & smooth.
8. Spilt batter into 2 portions.
9. Sieve and fold in matcha powder into 1 portion.
10. Sieve and fold in charcoal piwder into 1 portion.
11. Spoon in the batter from each portion spontaneously into the baking tin. Then tap the tin on the table top few times to release air bubbles.
12. Put the baking pan into another larger pan, then fill the latter up with hot water (1/3 of the tin with batter).
13. Send to bake at 150C for 70min.
14. Once baked, remove from oven and invert the cake immediately on a cooling rack to cool.  If you want a soft surface, invert on a non stick frying pan.

Durian Ogura

Too many durians in the fridge!  So I made this super flavourful ogura for my daughter! :)

Ingredients
(A)
5 egg yolks
1 whole egg
1/4 tsp salt
40g canola oil
90g milk

150g durian flesh
90g plain flour

(B)
5egg whites
100g castor sugar
1/4 tsp cream of tartar

Method

1. Preaheat oven at 150C
2. Lined the bottom of a 7; square tine or 8" round tin. *will be using waterbath method , so do not use a tin with removable base!
   For (A): 
3. Blend milk with durian flesh.
4. Beat egg yolks, whole egg, salt, oil & milk durian mixture with hand whisk, until fluffy.
5. Sieve in flour then mix it up until well combined.
   For (B):
6. Beat egg white, cream of tartar & castor sugar until firm peaks form.
7. Using a hand whisk, mix 1/3 of (B) mixture at a time, into mixture (A).
8. Switch to a spatula to lift batter from bottom to fold.  Be sure the mixture is well combined & smooth.
9. Pour the mixture into the baking tin, shaking it left to right to even out the top.  Then tap the tin on the table top few times to release air bubbles.
10. Put the baking pan into another larger pan, then fill the latter up with hot water (1/3 of the tin with batter).
11. Send to bake at 150C for 70min.
12. Once baked, remove from oven and invert the cake immediately on a cooling rack to cool.  If you want a soft surface, invert on a non stick frying pan.

Kasutera カステラ Japanese Sponge Cake (a.k.a Castella Sponge Cake)

Castella (カステラ Kasutera) is a popular Japanese sponge cake made from 4 basic ingredients - sugar, eggs, bread flour and honey.   It is a speciality of Nagasaki.  The Portuguese merchants introduced this cake to Japan in the 16th century, and the name was derived from Portuguese Pão de Castela, meaning "bread from Castile".   

Basically, the key to success in making this cake is on the eggs, be sure to beat the eggs until it is thick and pale golden in colour, and the batter falls back in ribbon-like when the whisk is lifted!

Anyway, this cake should traditionally be baked in a wooden cake mould, which helps the cake to bake evenly. But I reckon that not everyone has one, so I tried it on a loaf tin instead (at a lower temperature).  The only difference from the loaf tin is that the side of the cake will be browned.  But you can just trim off the sides before serving, and you'll have a nice looking Kasutera! :)

The one I made had a cracked top because of the temperature (baked at 160C), so I amended the temperature in the recipe.  Next time, I'll put in a bowl of water to bake together, to prevent cracks :)  

This recipe was adapted and modified from Anncoo Journal.

Ingredients:
4 large eggs - room temperature
80g caster sugar
50g honey
75g warm milk - microwave for 30 seconds
10g cake emulsifier (Sponge gel)
150g bread flour
a pinch of salt
50g Melted Butter
10g Mirin (*optional)


Method:

1. Preheat oven to 150C.
2. Line the bottom and sides of the loaf tin with parchment paper.
3. Sieve bread flour, plain flour and salt together twice.  Set aside.
   
4. Add warm milk, honey and sponge gel in a small bowl, using a hand whisk, stir until the mixture is smooth. (If you have difficulties dissolving the sponge gel, you may sieve the mixture).  Set aside.
5. Whisk eggs and sugar on medium speed, until batter is thick and creamy white.
6. Turn to low speed, slowly add in the milk mixture and mix well.
7. Then add in flour bit by bit (about one tablespoon at a time) until well combined.
8. Lastly fold in melted butter and mirin in two portions and mix well.
9. Pour batter into the baking tin, tap on table top few times to release air bubbles, and bake for 50-60 mins or skewer inserted comes out clean.
10. Once done, remove the cake from the oven and let it rest for a while.   Then cover the top with a parchment paper, and invert the cake to remove the baking tin.
11. Let the cake cool down slightly, say 15min (the cake should feels warm and is manageable by hand).   Wrap it up with cling wrap, then parchment paper. Store the warm cake in the refrigerator overnight (at least 12hrs).
12. Trim the sides of the cake before serving.

Note: Chilling the cake overnight will ensure a moist texture.  Cooling in room temperature will gives you a 'dry' Kasutera. 

Lined all sides of the tin.

The milk solution, sieved.

Eggs should be whipped until it is really creamy, and pale golden colour.  

All wrapped to be sent for overnight chilling!

All chilled up!

Trim off the sides.

Yum yum!