Baileys Cheesecake

2010 has come to an end. Maybe it’s time for some reflection haha A recap of the resolutions made a year ago:

1. Lose Weight - #1 resolution every year lol - I gained everything that I’ve lost in the last quarter of the year. Gg

2. Less partying, and I mean much less. House parties are fine since it happens rarely. - Check. Less indeed. Think I’m getting too old for clubbing.
3. Complete my 21km half marathon within 2h 30mins in Adidas Sundown Marathon and 42km marathon within 6h 30mins in Standard Chartered. - Check…and yay!! & Double yay!!
4. Be a more sensitive and considerate person - Probably only increase only +1 stats to the sensitivity meter :S
5. Enjoy my singlehood and settle down only if the person is the right one. - I hope he is!
6. Keeping to saving the usual amount, if not more for the rest of the year. - mmm. Shopping is too good. Not checked.
7. 2 trips for 2010 - One to a beach resort and one for sightseeing - Check. Bangkok, Bali, Phuket hehe

New ones for 2011 heh?

1. Lose weight and maintain till year end. - I’m sure this resolution is in your list too =P
2. Continue to run. Reduce mileage to 10 - 15km per week. - To save my knees!
3. To continue expanding my life.

4. Save more!

So there, I’ve promised.

Lots of talented chefs in the dept

It's a yearly affair for my department to have potluck on New Year Eve. Think my favorite of all the potlucks was the Teriyaki Chicken Pasta, it was so good that I had two servings. My contribution was a mere 9" chilled cheesecake which well, wasn't big enough to feed our headcount of 80+ people hehe. And how can a celebration go without any booze? So there we go, booze in a form of a cheesecake. Creamy yet light moussey Baileys cheesecake with crunchy chocolatey oreo crust. Happy 2011!

Baileys Cheesecake (modified from Anncoo Journal)

Ingredients:

Biscuit Base:

150g Oreo crumbs

130g Melted butter (to use 100g)

Method:
1. Grease a 8" round spring-form cake tin.

2. Mix biscuit crumbs together, add in melted butter.

3. Use hand to mix biscuit crumbs mixture and form it to a dough.

4. Press biscuits crumbs mixture at the base of the cake tin. Put cake tin in fridge for later use.

Cheese Filling:

375g cream cheese, room temperature

80g icing sugar, sifted
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
6 tbsp Baileys irish cream

15g gelatin powder
3 tbsp water

400g heavy cream
60g dark chocolate, melted (I use 65%)

Method:

1. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, icing sugar, vanilla and Baileys till thick and smooth.
2. Soak gelatin powder in 3 tbsp water and transfer to double boiler.
3. Slowly add dissolved gelatin to cream cheese mixture and mix well.
4. Whip up heavy cream till peak form (not too stiff).
5. Use a hand whisk and mix the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture and blend well.
6. Pour cheese filling onto prepared cake tin and spread evenly.
7. Add dollops of melted chocolate onto the cheese filling and make swirls and marble patterns as desired.
8. Chill cheesecake in fridge for >4h or overnight before serving.

Out-of-This-World Brownies

Right. It looks like a disaster, I mean it IS a disaster. Got boyfriend to bring my cold brownies home one night before the BBQ and condensation setted in and the candy cane started smearing like a crying girl's mascara over the ganache. This is honestly much worse than Jess's Christmas tree turning blue. I know these brownies look like abomination on its own, but I assure you it tastes better than it looks.

The only modification I did for the brownies (in the holy spirit of Christmas muahahaha) is to spread a layer of ganache and sprinkle 70g of coarsely crushed candy canes over and let it set in the fridge. These brownies are ultra rich and deeply chocolatey with the generous amount of chocolate used. It's one of the most fudgy brownies I've made so far, dark chocolate fans will be thrilled to sink their teeth into these lovely brownie bites.

this is the season to be jolly, FATlalalalalalalala~

On a side note, I need to start dieting. Have been feasting non stop and eating like a pig for few days in a row. Gonna have a few more celebrations and BBQs lining up this week. Not looking forward to Grandma or aunties saying that I've gained weight during the coming Chinese New Year gatherings. hurhur.

Out-of-This-World Brownies (adapted from Sherry Yard's Desserts by the Yard)

Ingredients:
105g all purpose flour plus 2 tbsp flour
1/4 tsp salt
113g unsalted butter
28g unsweetened chocolate (I use Hersheys)
198g bittersweet chocolate (I use 64% Tainori)
2 eggs
200g sugar

Method:
1. Place a rack in the middle the oven and preheat oven to 180°C. Line an 8" square baking pan with aluminum foil and spray with pan spray.

2. Sift together flour and salt and set aside.
3. Melt butter and both chocolates (either in microwave or on the stove). Stir with a rubber spatula until smooth. Allow to cool to tepid (32°C).
4. Using a stand or hand mixer, beat the eggs and sugar until fluffy.
5. With a whisk, gently eat in the butter and chocolate. Fold in flour.
6. Scrape batter into prepared pan and place in oven. Bake for 25 to 30 mins, rotating the pan from front to back halfway through.
7. Brownies should be slightly firm to the touch and a crust should form on the top. A toothpick will not come out clean. Allow to cool in pan to room temperature before serving.

Peppermint Mocha Blossoms

It's Christmas! My celebration, if you call that 'celebration', was pretty simple yet blissful. Spent the afternoon baking, then had dinner with boyfriend at Sizzler's then some shopping at Phoon Huat and Popular and home sweet home. Both of us are not keen in crowd squeezing with the mass in town.

Boyfriend helped me out with the afternoon baking, he had the all-important role of unwrapping the peppermint kisses and QC if they were intact. And for those which were not, he also assisted in the elimination of them, i.e. eat them :D

I know I've swore off cookies baking but these cookies are too cute to miss, especially during this festive season. It's simple yet the results are rewarding. First the cookies are so adorable, great for gift giving and parties. Secondly, the recipe is versatile, you can swop the Hersheys kisses on top for different flavors and adjust your cookie recipe accordingly. Lastly (my favorite reason), pressing down the kisses onto the puffy cookies were so fun! +100 stats to the fun element. You have to watch out for the mashy kisses after cooling the cookies to room temperature though. I put them into the fridge to harden them up again before serving.

These cookies are awesome!!! These are like the cookie form of Starbucks' Peppermint Mocha. Blend of rich chocolate, stimulating coffee and refreshing peppermint. The creamy and smooth peppermint kiss in the middle is like a surprise when you hit the middle of the puffy cookie. My mom was so fond of them that she instructed me to reserve more for her instead of giving them all away at a Xmas BBQ I'm going to later. I'm already looking forward to making them one more time before the year ends.

Am submitting this entry to Aspiring Bakers #2: Christmas! (Dec 2010). And not forgetting, Merry Christmas to everyone and your family! :D

Peppermint Mocha Blossoms (adapted from My Kitchen Addiction)
(makes approximately 24 cookies)

Ingredients:
113g unsalted butter, softened
150g granulated sugar
1 tbsp instant espresso powder
1 egg
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
210g all purpose flour
15g cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
25g granulated sugar to coat cookies
24 Hersheys Peppermint Kisses

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 190°C. Lightly grease your baking sheets, or line with parchment and set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter, sugar and espresso powder until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in eggs, one at a time, and then add the vanilla and peppermint extracts.
4. Meanwhile, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl.
5. Gradually add the flour mixture into the creamed mixture until the dough comes together.
6. Roll tablespoons of the dough into balls (23g for me) and coat with granulated sugar. Place onto baking sheet and bake for 9-10 mins.
7. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2 to 3 mins before pressing a Hersheys Kiss into the centre of each cookie. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Chocolate Spice Muffins

Took leave a day before Christmas Eve to whip up a mass muffins baking for my colleagues. Made a variety of muffins from my past tested and trial-ed recipes. Settled on a few including this one. Chocolate spice muffins! To warm everyone up a little, in the heart at least. Crusty muffin top accompanied by spicy cocoa flavors and dried mixed fruits. The recipe is a holiday season keeper.

Little xmas tags I've made. Ripped the angry muffin picture off google.

Muffins galore~

It was fun baking loads during this holiday season. Kinda disappointed that I didn't have the time to practice for a log cake this year, but I'll do that in the coming year.

Chocolate Spice Cranberry Muffins
(makes 12 muffins)

Ingredients:
1 egg
70ml vegetable oil
240ml milk
200g sugar
140g all purpose flour
135g whole wheat flour
20g cocoa powder
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
70g dried mixed fruits

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line 12 muffin paper cups on the muffin tray.
2. Whisk together egg, oil, milk and sugar
3. In a separate bowl, whisk flours, cocoa powder and baking powder, salt and stir in egg mixture
4. Fold in mixed fruits and scoop batter into muffin
5. Bake for 30mins and transfer to wire rack to cool

Chocolate Banana Studded Cake

When I first started baking, I casually mentioned that I couldn't attempt certain recipes because they call for a food processor and I don't have one at home to my boyfriend. And that silly boy went to purchase a hugeass food processor soon after. And because of my tight schedule and I very soon forgotten about where those food-processor-recipes I wanted to make went to, so the brand new machine was left at the corner of my table for the longest time. He nagged at reminded me on and off that I should start utilising the processor...and so I did!!...for his special day.

Happy Birthday to the world's greatest bf :)

/burp

The recipe is written as per Rose Levy Beranbaum's book, but I made the ganache the night before so that it has enough time to set for frosting consistency. It was still kind of thin for my liking, but nevertheless taste great, how can ganache go wrong anyway. I have quite a good amount of leftover ganache, so you might want to reduce the ganache recipe if you are only planning to smear a thin layer on the cake like mine.

Was kinda messy with the ganache and the studding. Hand picking the mini chocolate chips one by one and meticulously (well, not that much as you can see from the pictures) placing them on the frosted cake took me about half an hour or so. Think I ought to place strips of parchment paper underneath the cake the next time I do frosting as the dripping wet ganache makes my cake look like it's wearing an evening gown.

The cake tastes awesome. The fruity banana flavor really makes this cake special from the typical chocolate cake. I also like how the cake is so velvety and fine crumb-ed. Somehow, everything I've made from this book turns out amazing. And the chocolate chips on top provides an extra bite to the cake.

Chocolate Banana Studded Cake (adapted from Rose Levy Beranbaum's Rose's Heavenly Cakes)

Ingredients:

Batter:
42g unsweetened (alkalized) cocoa powder
88g boiling water
112g ripe banana, peeled and lightly mashed
90g sour cream
2 large eggs, room temperature
3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
156g cake flour
200g superfine sugar
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
142g unsalted butter, room temperature

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 175°C. Prepare a 9" round cake pan, encircled with a cake strip, bottom coated with shortening, topped with a parchment round, then coated with baking spray with flour
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the cocoa and boiling water until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent evaporation and cool to room temperature, about 30 mins. To speed cooling, place it in a refrigerator. Bring it to room temperature before proceeding.
3. In a food processor, process the banana and sour cream until smooth. Pulse in the cocoa mixture, eggs, and vanilla and process briefly just to blend.
4. In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the flat beater, mix the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt on low speed for 30 secs.
5. Add butter and half the banana-cocoa mixture. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Raise the speed to medium and beat for 1 1/2 mins. Scrape down sides of the bowl.
6. Starting on medium low speed, add the remaining banana-cocoa mixture in 2 pats, beating on medium speed for 30 secs after each addition to incorporate the ingredients and strengthen the structure. The batter will be light but creamy.
7. Using a silicone spatula, scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface evenly with a small offset spatula.
8. Bake for 35 to 45 mins, or until a wire cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean and the cake springs back when pressed lightly in the centre. The cake should start to shrink from the sides of the pan only after removal from the oven.
9. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10mins. Run a small metal spatula between the sides of the pan and the cake, pressing firmly against the pan, and invert the cake onto a wire rack that has been coated lightly with a nonstick cooking spray. To prevent splitting, reinvert the cake so that the top side is up. Cool completely.

Ganache Studded with Chocolate Chips:
227g dark chocolate, 60% to 62% cocoa, chopped (I use 55% Valrhona)
232g heavy cream
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 tbsp liqueur of your choice or extra cream (I use Baileys)
325g chocolate chips (I used only about 100g)

Method:

1. In a food processor, process the dark chocolate until very fine.
2. In a 2-cup or larger microwavable cup with a spout (or medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring often), scald the cream (heat it to the boiling point; small bubbles will form around the periphery).
3. With the motor of the food processor running, pour the cream through the feed tube in a steady stream. Process for a few seconds until smooth. Pulse in the vanilla and liqueur or cream, if using.
4. Scrape the ganache into a glass bowl and let it sit for 1h. Cover with plastic wrap and allow it to cool at room temperature for several hours, until the mixture reaches frosting consistency. The ganache keeps for 3 days at room temperature, for 3 weeks refrigerated, and 6 months frozen.
5. When the cake is completely cool, spread a little ganache onto the 9-inch cardboard round or serving plate and set it on top. If using the plate, slide a few wide strips of wax paper or parchment under the cake to keep the rim of the plate clean. Frost the top and sides of the cake with ganache.
6. Stud the cake all over with chocolate chips, pointed ends in. It will take about 45mins to place chips close together. Fewer chips more widely spaced also are very attractive. Or, if desired, form a design with a combination of dark and milk chocolate or peanut butter chips. If using the paper strips, slowly slide them out from under the cake before serving.

Cocoa Banana Muffins

Remember Project: Cookies? It's in operation! Colleagues came to my place and baked a few hundred cookies for my department's Xmas gift giving. Given the number of cookies baked, you can roughly estimate how big my department is ya.

Filled up jars of cookies...and that's not all of it

Some play after all the hard work

After today, don't think I'll be baking any cookies for a long while. The scent of cookie dough makes me sick :S

Was utterly down later in the day, felt like an useless douchebag. Decided to make myself useful by baking. The numerous beating and mixing in this recipe made me go, Really?? a couple of times when I was following through the steps. This is the first time I've beat and mixed so much for a muffin. The muffins turned out surprisingly soft and pudding-ish in texture. Bananas and chocolate go so brainlessly well together. It's really hard to screw up anything that blends the two flavors together. Compared to the recent banana and chocolate muffins I've baked recently, I think I like the previous one slightly better because they're more badass...or maybe 2 young lads are more attractive than one middle aged baker.

Cocoa Banana Muffins (adapted from Nick Malgieri's Modern Baker)
(makes 16 muffins)

Ingredients:
210g all purpose flour
46g alkalized(Dutch process) cocoa powder, sifted
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups bananas, peeled and mashed with a fork (use very ripe bananas)
120g sour cream
169g unsalted butter, softened
200g granulated sugar
109g light brown sugar
3 large eggs

Method:
1. Set a rack in the middle level of the oven and preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl and stir well to mix.
3. In a separate bowl, stir together the mashed bananas and sour cream; set aside.
4. Combine the butter, sugar and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until well mixed and a little lightened in color, abt 1 min.
5. Beat in eggs one at a time, beating smooth after each addition.
6. Decrease mixer speed to low and beat in 1/2 the flour mixture. Stop the mixer and use a large rubber spatula to scrape down the bowl and beater.
7. Beat in banana mixture. After batter has absorbed the banana mixture, beat in the remaining flour mixture. Stop and scrape down the bowl and beater again.
8. Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a large rubber spatula to give a final mixing to the batter.
9. Divide the batter equally among the cavities in the muffin pans. Bake the muffins until they are well risen and feel firm to the touch, about 30 mins (I took them out at 27mins). Because this is such a liquid batter, test a muffin with a toothpick or the point of a thin-bladed knife - it should emerge with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it.
8. Cool the muffins in the pan on a rack.

Christmas Muffins - Cranberries & Orange

If I were to design a muffin called Christmas, this will be it...because Cranberries = Christmas! Am submitting this entry to Aspiring Bakers #2: Christmas! (Dec 2010).

This muffin recipe is really easy, made in the festive spirit of healthy living. When I attended the cooking demo by Chef Anna Olson and she said you can basically substitute up to half of flour of whatever recipes we have with whole wheat flour without drastically affecting the texture and taste of the baked goods. That explains why we often see 1 cup flour : 1 cup whole wheat flour in supposedly health conscious recipes.

Muffins are great! In the spirit of being health conscious (since this is a whole wheat muffin), I use low fat milk instead of full cream. Despite that, the muffin remains moist and tender. The orange gives the muffin a refreshing zesty twist accompanied by tarty cranberries' tanginess, it's like eating Marks and Spencer's Cranberry Orange cookie but in a muffin form. This is a fairy tale of tart meeting sweetness, with a satisfying burping happily ever after.

Cranberry Orange Muffins

(makes 12 muffins)

Ingredients:
1 egg
70ml vegetable oil
240ml milk
200g sugar
1 orange's zest
1 tsp of Grand Marnier
140g all purpose flour
150g whole wheat flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
70g dried cranberries (I used 35g, that's all that I'm left with :P)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line 12 muffin paper cups on the muffin tray.
2. Whisk together egg, oil, milk, sugar and orange zest
3. In a separate bowl, sift flours, baking powder, salt and stir in egg mixture
4. Fold in cranberries and scoop batter into muffin
5. Bake for 30mins and transfer to wire rack to cool