Peanut Butter Milk Chocolate Mousse Cake

Another trial!  Success declared, though not yet perfect and close to Cova‘s Peanut Feuillentine Cake.  The paillete feuilletine lost its crunchiness when mixed with the mousse.  Peanut butter and milk chocolate in two layers, not only a peanut butter mousse cake per Cova’s version.  Not good or bad.  Hmm, it’s a good cake.  Full of peanut’s unique fragrance and creaminess.  Different tastes fused together to enlighten the taste buds.  It’s served after an enjoyable lunch with a friend. 

I did not use heavy cream but normal cream.  5g gelatin used for the two mousse layers.  Yup, thanks to another blogger for information to make a version of mine.

Cake base
2 eggs
44g sugar
44g cake flour
8g oil

Beat the eggs and sugar until thick and fluffy, ribbon like

Fold in the sifted flour, followed by the oil

Pour the mixture into a 18cm cake pan

Bake at 180°C for 20-25 minutes

Let cool.  Brush the cake with brandy

Peanut Butter Mousse                             
33g powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
200g whipping cream
125g creamy peanut butter
30g feuilletine

Blend the peanut butter and half of the powdered sugar well.  Add vanilla and mix till incorporated

Beat the cream with the rest of the sugar till soft peaks form. 

Add half of the cream to the peanut butter mixture.  Blend well

Add the remaining cream and mix well

Lay half of the feuilletine on the cake base

Pour the peanut butter cream mixture onto the feuiletine cake base

Refrigerate for 2 hours

Milk Chocolate Mousse
50g milk chocolate buttons
140g whipping cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Bring 1/4 cup of the whipping cream to a simmer in a small saucepan.

Remove saucepan from the heat and add the chocolate buttons. Stir until smooth. Mix in vanilla extract.

Cool the chocolate mixture

Whip the remaining cream to soft peaks

Fold in the cooled chocolate mixture

Pour the mousse on top of the peanut butter mousse

Let the mousse harden in the fridge for a few hours

Chocolate Peanut Butter Feuilletine Cake

I tried Cova‘s Peanut Butter Feuilletine Cake at a birthday party a few weeks’ ago. It’s stunning and made us falling in love with it.  Feuilletine is crispy, thin little shards of sugar cone.  Peanut butter cream with a hit of crunchy feuillentine.  Gorgeous!  It’s impossible to find the receipe.  But it does not mean giving up.  Ha ha, a twist and totally different texture by combining different receipes.  A chocolate sponge cake, a layer of chocolate peanut butter feuilletine and chocolate mousse, top with cocoa.  Heavenly!

It’s an experiment but a satisfactory one, though not perfect on its first run.  The mousse ring can be extended to a bigger size, letting the mousse flowing down to cover the sponge cake and peanut butter feuilletine.   Milk chocolate will be used next time to allow the flavour of peanut butter becoming more prominent.  A bit cream will be added so that it will soften, not an absolute crunch.

My mum and I share 1/4 of it.  Yeah, mine is a little bit bigger.  I wanted a second piece…..  Perhaps, after dinner.  Yeah yeah, it will only be consumed at home.  Taking mousse around, an hour to office.  No no, too far!  It’s risky.  Beautiful excuse to keep it home.  Let’s give Fanny a call.

Chinese Taro Cake, 山芋千絲糕

It’s the second time to make this but a bigger portion and increased dried scallop for the taste I like.  Chinese sausage was cut into larger dices so that my mother can easily pick it out, not to increase the risk of blogged blood vessels.

1000g Taro         
2 Chinese sausages
50g dried shrimp     
5 dried scallops

Soak the dried scallops and dried shrimps overnight.  Drain.

Steam the dried scallops until it is soft.  Tear it into ribbon-like

Cook the Chinese sausage in water until it gets boiled.  Dice it.

Dice the dried shrimps.

Cut 60% of the taro into stripes.  Grate the test to ribbon shape.  Mix well with the scallop ribbon.

Heat a wok.  Fry the Chinese sausage until it is fragrant.  Add dried shrimps.   Take them out from the wok.

Sauté the taro and cornstarch slightly.  Add the dried scallop.  Add the seasonings, follow by the Chinese sausage and dried shrimps.  Add water and mix well to a paste.

Fill the mixture into a rectangular cake loaf and a 18 cm cake pan.  Press it.

Steam it for 20-25 minutes.  Let cool.

Slice and pan fry the taro cake.  Serve warm.

 

 

芋頭肉1kg    臘腸2條       蝦米50g       瑤柱5粒(浸腍)

調味料:
鹽2茶匙
雞粉、麻油各1茶匙     五香粉、胡椒粉各1/3茶匙
糖2湯匙       生粉310g

1.瑤柱隔水蒸40分鐘至腍，搣成絲備用

2.臘腸氽水後切粒，下白鑊炒至出油，加蝦米炒香，盛起備用。

3.芋頭切絲，下瑤柱絲拌勻。

4.燒熱鑊，下3略炒，加入生粉、鹽、雞粉、五香粉、胡椒粉、糖炒勻後，再下麻油炒香，再下臘腸和蝦米炒勻

5. 放入盤壓實，隔水蒸25分鐘，吃前才切件煎來吃。

 

Warm Chocolate Raspberry Tart, Chocolate Mango Tart

Happy Chinese Lunar New Year!  Red represents danger in the western world but it denotes fortune and good luck in the Chinese society.  Gift-money in red packet distributed to singles, couplet (對聯), red candy tray, firecracker, new year floral, red wear (outer and under),  nameless…..

I wish you all 鴻運當頭, 龍馬精神, 萬事勝意!  It means good luck, health and fortune.

New Year dessert should be red.  So, I tried a recipe adapted from Claire Clarke, pastry chef of French Laundry.  Raspberry is always a delight and the best lover to chocolate.  To give it a twist, I also took mango.  Fabulous colours, melting chocolate, cookies-like tart –  Wow, wow!

Chocolate Pastry (I used 2/3 of the portion)
100g butter
80g icing sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
225g plain flour
25g cocoa
salt

Put all ingredients in a food processor and pulse to form a soft but not sticky dough. 

Flatten the dough to about 1cm thick, wrap in cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

Roll it out to fit for a 13cm, 10cm cake pan and 6 tart moulds.

Lightly prick the bases with a fork and return to the fridge for 15 minutes. to rest.  Preheat the oven to 180C.

Bake the pastry blind for 10 minutes.  Remove baking beans and bake for 5 – 8 minutes further.

Tart filling
200g chocolate (I used 55% instead of 70% cocao)
120g butter
2 medium eggs
3 medium egg yolks
20g sugar
raspberries to decorate

Melt the chocolate and butter over simmering water.

Whisk the eggs, egg yolks and sugar until pale, fluffy and tripled in volume.  Fold in the melted butter and chocolate with a metal spoon while the mixture is still warm.

You can place raspberries inside the case and then pour over the chocolate mixture.  Or spoon chocolate mixture into the tart case.  Bake for 5-6 minutes.  The centre should look damp and not quite cooked.  Either serve immediately with lots of raspberries and creme fraiche.

If you like a more fudgy texture, let the tarts cool and decorate them with raspberries, mango.  Enjoy!

I ate 2 tarts.  Warm, gooey chocolate, fragrant raspberry and exotic mango.  Yummy!    With a sip of latte, it’s divine.  Yes, I am aware of the weight adding to my hip…..  I ended up doing 45 minutes stretching

Manhattan Cheesecake

Today is the end of 2011.  It has been weeks that I haven’t met the church friends.  Most of them are married.  Meetings around the festive time were cancelled.  Fortunately, the meeting today will be on.  A new trial, Manhattan cheesecake from Eric Lanlard, will be served.  A colleague asked me what Manhattan Cheesecake is.  Well, I think it’s just a name.  Manhattan is in New York, right?  If you know the difference between New York and Manhattan Cheesecake, please tell me.

I like this one. It is smooth, melting in mouth though it is baked.  I guess the trick is the addition of sour cream and low temperature baking.  The kick of fresh lemon lingers in the mouth for a long while, can even take the equivalence of wine’s long finish.

The cake can be either served on its own, with bare decoration with strawberry or blueberry coulis.

Click here for recipe.  Mine is 70% of the ingredients to make a 18cm cake and 13cm cake.  Plus, I cut 20% sugar.

Chocolate Gateau

Chocolate, chocolate!  Charming, indulgent and gorgeous!  I attempted chocolate cheesecake last time in October.  Now, the star comes again.  Yes, I can’t resist it.  It keeps haunting.  What’s more, my work mate loves chocolate.  So, a thank-you!

Chocolate gateau is always a big temptation, a seduction.  There are different interpretations.  Mine is rich chocolate coating.  Others can be chocolate layered cake, anything with chocolate.  I can’t remember where I got this recipe, but with my twist.  Addition of ground hazelnut, Ferrero Rocher and chocolate nibs.  Instead of double cream, I took milk and butter for the gateau.  Result?  Kenny said it’s best two among the few he tried from me.  Well, he is a young gastronomist.   His comments can be trusted.  Ha ha!

I cut the cake during a conference call.  People wondered.  What if they see the cake but not being served during the call?

150g dark chocolate, 72% cacao
60g raw sugar
150g butter, diced
1 tbsp runny honey
4 large eggs, separated
100g ground almonds
100g ground hazelnut
75ml milk

Melt chocolate, sugar, butter, honey in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water.  Let cool.

Beat in eggs, ground almond and hazelnut, then milk.

Whisk egg whites until stiff.  Fold it in the chocolate mixture in 3 batches, gently.

Pour it into a 20 cm cake pan.  Bake at 170C for 30 minutes until just set.

Chocolate ganache
100g chocolate, 85% cacao
80g milk
40g melted butter

Melt the chocolate over simmering water.

Mix the milk and butter until incorporated.

Blend in the melted chocolate. Let it set in the refrigerator for a few minutes

Pour the chocolate ganache over the cake

Sprinkle chocolate nibs on the circumference. Decorate with Ferrero Rocher in a floral shape

Refrigerate the cake for half hour to get it set. 

Leave it at room temperature for half to an hour before serving.  Enjoy!

Tiramisu at Christmas time

Tender sunlight at the late afternoon, tiresome…..  A cheerful job of taking photo of the Tiramisu made at Christmas time.  It’s both physically and emotionally ‘picking me up’.  Physically, for its velvet mascarpone cream mixture with a bit brandy in the mouth.  Emotionally, a lift from the gloomy chilly winter with the delightful dessert.  Ah, it’s not yet dinner.  Dessert is too early.  It’s gorgeous, anyway!

Tiramisu has been a long-time favourite dessert.  So, it’s time for a twist.  Brandy is used instead of dark rum.  Savoyardi biscuits are fencing the dessert.  Isn’t it great?  Nice with the eyes.  I can’t wait to enjoy a slice!

With the biscuits on the circumference, I could spare to make an extra small one.  Hurray!

Chocolate Orange Egg White Cake

3 egg white is left upon making one of my favourites, blueberry cheesecase.  What to do?  No eagerness to make souffle nor meringe.  Hmm, just a simple egg white cake, a new attempt.  A quick search online came ideas from David Lebovitz.  It calls for 6 large egg whites.  I had 3, not that large.  No probem, let’s try.

What can be extra new?  Well, orange, zest and juice.  A slight tangy favour gently caresses the taste bud.  And a coffee.  Excellent! 

It’s like a normal chocolate cake, not especially light.  I guess the reason is whipped egg white is not added at the end like chiffon cake or angel cake.  It’s good with coffee.  For the few bites, orange taste lingered but no trace of the orange zest.  Where are they?

3 large egg whites
75g caster sugar
Zest of an orange
Juice of 1/2 orange
A few drops of vanilla essence
60 g cake flour
20g cocoa
1/2 tsp heaped Tbsp cornflour
1/2 tsp baking powder
50 g melted butter
icing sugar

Whisk the egg whites with 1 Tbsp of sugar until thick and pale and very foamy.

Add orange zest and juice.

Mix the rest of the sugar with flour, corn flour and baking powder, then sift into the egg mixture and fold in gently.

Fold in cool melted butter.

Pour the batter into a bundt-form and bake in a pre-heated 180C oven for 30-40 minutes.

Cool slightly before turning out of the cake tin.  Sprinkle icing sugar on top and decorate the way you like.

Nutty Carbonara with Herbs

I dread for comfort food, something easy, homemade and have a sentimental appeal.  Here comes my version of Carbonara, with a twist of toasted walnut, parsley and mint.  Years ago I followed a recipe to make Carbonara.  It’s not good.  I did not order Carbonara in Italian restaurant because I thought it’s easy to make and my failed experience.  It did not worth to pay for such a dish.  It changed when it was part of a menu in a restaurant in Vatican.  I could taste nuts inside and it’s good.  Thereafter, I searched for tips of cooking superb Carbonara.  The trick is egg yolks only, no egg white.  A bit of cream will enrich the flavour. 

Portion for 1 person:

100g spaghetti
2 slices bacon, diced
Around 20g walnut, toasted and crushed smaller
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon cream
parsley and mint
Parmesan
Salt & pepper
Pasta cooking water

Cook the spaghetti according to the cooking instruction, or until it is al dente

Blend well the egg yolks, cream, parmesan, chopped parsley, mint and little salt and pepper

Melt a knot of butter.  Add in the diced bacon. Let the flavour come out.

Add the cooked pasta with a bit of the pasta water onto the bacon.  Toss well.

Turn the heat off.  Pour the egg yolk mixture onto the pasta.  Toss well.

Serve on plate.  Sprinkle parmesan on top.  Decorate with mint.  Enjoy!

Mexican Chocolate Cake with Crème Fraîche

Saturday, a day meant for experiment with success.  Today’s star is creme fraiche, added to chocolate cake to enrich the flavour and linger the taste.  Experiment: chili added, homemade yoghurt used instead of sour cream, nespresso instead of coffee.  Together with cinnamon, gorgeous!

This Mexican version is from Melissa Pitts.  Well, I don’t have Mexican chocolate and cream. No problem, easily substituted by European chocolate and creme fraiche.   If it is hot and spicy.  No no, I could not taste the heat from the chili.

This is very easy to make.  No need for an electric mixer.  Just blending all ingredients by hand.  The only little effort is to melt the chocolate and butter.

210g butter, original recipe 225g
180g chocolate, 75% cocao
180g sugar, original recipe 225g
80g yoghurt
120g crème fraiche
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon Nespresso, Arpeggio
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon

For the Chocolate Sauce (optional)
270g chocolate
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup evaporated milk

I skip the chocolate sauce as I did not it to be so extravagant.  It will add too much weight to my hip. But, feel free to serve the cake with the sauce. 

Grease and flour a 10- to 12-cup Bundt pan. Heat oven to 180°C.

Melt butter andchocolate in a large saucepan over another pot with a low level of simmering water at low heat.  Stir till smooth. Let cool.

Add the sugar, creme fraiche, vanilla, nespresso, cinnamon, chili powder, and eggs to the chocolate.  Whisk until smooth.

Sieve the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the first mixture, whisking until well blended.

Pour batter into the prepared bundt pan. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until it feels firm to the touch and has slightly pulled away from the sides of the pan. Cool in pan on a rack for 20 minutes.

Pprepare the chocolate sauce.

Combine the evaporated milk, chocolate with 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in a small saucepan. Let cool. If too thick, thin with a little more milk.