Friday, November 28, 2008

Japanese Cheesecake



Japanese Cheesecake, unlike rich, dense American cheesecake, is a light and fluffy cake.

#Batter:#For Glazing :
  • 2 tbsp Apricot jam
  • 1/2 tbsp Water



  1. Pre-heat the oven to 175C/350F. Line a 26cm cake tin with greaseproof paper both bottom and the sides. If you use a spring form with a removable bottom, then you must use tin-foil to the cake tin completely to avoid the water penetrate right through to the cake.

  2. Soften the cream cheese with milk in a bowl. Add half of the caster sugar, egg yolks, cornstarch, lemon juice and combine together.
  3. Place the egg whites and lemon juice or white vinegar in a large bowl, whisking them until foamy and then keep whisking, adding the remaining sugar in 3 batches until the mixture stands in stiff peaks.

  4. Fold one third of the egg white mixture into the cream cheese mixture as gently as possible, then fold in the remaining egg white mixture gently but thoroughly. Transfer the mixture to the prepared tin and level the surface. Put the tin into a larger roasting tin and create a bain-marie by pouring boiling water in the roasting tin. Bake on the lower shelf in the oven for 60-70 minutes. Leave in the tin until cool enough to handle.

  5. Put the jam in a sauce pan on a low heat with the water and warm up until it's melted. If necessary, thicken this glaze by simmering a bit and then spread the glaze on top of the cake. If the surface of the cake becomes too dark while baking, cover with a piece of tin foil. Don't remove the cake from the tin until it's completely cool.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Banana Chocolate Guglhupf







  1. Beat butter and sugar until light and creamy. Add in egg and beat well. Add in mashed banana.

  2. Mix flour, salt, and baking powder in a bowl and sift into the banana mixture with chopped chocolate.
  3. Divide the mixture into 6 mini guglhupf and bake in a preheated 180C/350F oven for about 30-40 minutes. Cool completely and glaze with lemon icing if preferred.




Friday, November 21, 2008

Sandwiched Zucchini In Szechuan Fish Fragrant Sauce






Marinade
  • 100 g Ground pork (or beef, or combination)
  • 250 g Zucchini
  • 2 Eggs
  • 4 tbsp Cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp Oil
  • 1 tbsp Chopped spring onion
  • 1/2 tsp Minced ginger
  • Pinch of white pepper powder
  • 1 tsp Light soya sauce
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 1 Egg yolk
  • 1 tsp Cornstarch
Sauce
  • 1 tbsp Chopped spring onion
  • 2 tsp Minced ginger
  • 1 tsp Minced garlic
  • 1 tbsp Hot bean sauce

  • 1 tsp Cornstarch
  • 3 tbsp Water
  • 1 tbsp Light soya sauce
  • 1 tbsp Sugar
  • 1 tsp Sesame oil
  • 1 tsp Jiafan rice wine



  1. Peel and clean the zucchini. Cut them into 2-2.5 cm chunks. Slice open each chunk to become a clip. Remember not to cut it through. Soak them in a pot of salted water.
  2. Mix the ground meat and the marinade. Set aside. Dry up the zucchini clips with a towel and stuff with some prepared ground meat. Heat up a wok with oil to 165C/325F. Mix together 2 eggs and cornstarch in a bowl. Dip the prepared zucchini into the batter and deep-fry until golden brown. Drain.

  3. Heat up 2 tablespoons of oil in another pan and stir in ginger, onion, garlic and hot bean sauce until fragrant. Combine together the ingredients for the sauce and pour in. Return the fried zucchini to the pan and stir lightly until they are fully coated with the sauce. Dish off and serve.



Monday, November 17, 2008

Mohnschnecken / Poppy Seed Snail




Poppy seeds, rich in fat and proteins, and having a distinctive aroma, are a classic addition to bread, cookies, and cakes. This sweet roll is very popular in Germany.



DoughFillingIcing

  • 410 g All-purpose flour
  • 30 g Milk powder
  • 42 g Sugar
  • 3/4 tsp Salt
  • 9 g Active dry yeast
  • 1 Egg
  • 127 ml Lukewarm water
  • 130 g Water Roux Starter-Tangzhong
  • 30 g Butter
  • 500 ml Milk
  • 250 g Poppy,
    angiesrecipes
    ground
  • 1 package / 37 g Vanilla pudding (or 3 tbsp Cornstarch+1 tsp Vanilla extract)
  • 4-6 tbsp Honey
  • 2 tsp Cinnamon
  • 1 Lemon peel, grated
  • 80 g Almond, chopped or sliced



  1. Place all the ingredients for the dough, except butter, in a mixing bowl fixed with a dough hook and beat at slow speed for 1 minute. Switch to the medium speed, and continue to beat for 3 minutes until a dough forms. Cut in butter gradually and mix for approx. 5 minutes until gluten is fully developed, i. e. elastic, smooth, non-sticky and leaves from sides of mixing bowl. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and let rise until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

  2. While dough is rising, prepare filling. Cook 400ml milk with ground poppy in a pot for 3 minutes over the medium heat. Combine together the pudding powder, 100 ml milk, honey, cinnamon and grated lemon peel and add in the poppy-milk mixture. Boil and stir in sliced almond. Blend thoroughly. Cool down and ready to use.
  3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into half, each about 430 grams. Divide into thirds. Press and roll each part into a 25cmx30cm rectangle.
  4. Spread the poppy filling and tightly roll up. With a serrated knife, cut the roll into 8 sections. Place them in a baking tray lined with parchment paper and let rise for another hour until doubled in volume. After proving, brush them with egg wash. Garnish with a candied cherry in the middle and bake in a preheated 180C/350F oven for 15 minutes. Sift the icing sugar into lemon juice to combine and brush over top of bread rolls.



Friday, November 14, 2008

Panettone (pa-ne-to-ne)



Panettone is a typical bread of Milan, usually prepared and enjoyed for Christmas and New Year around Italy, and one of the symbols of the city. This cake-like bread is typically baked into a tall, cylindrical shape (empty fruit cans work great as baking pans).
  • 1 package / 7 g Dry yeast
  • 60 ml Water at 43C/110F
  • 60 g German #550 flour
  • 100 g Butter, room temperature
  • 2 Eggs
  • 4 Egg yolks
  • 150 g Sugar



  1. To make the sponge, dissolve the yeast in 60 ml warm water in a bowl. Add 60 flour and stir to make a very loose dough. Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for at least 6 hours, or overnight.

  2. In the bowl of your mixer, combine the butter, eggs, yolks, sugar, milk, and vanilla seeds. Add in the starter dough. Gradually add the flour, beat on low speed just until dough begins to leave the sides of the bowl and pull together. Increase speed to medium, and beat until the dough becomes smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
  3. Place the dough in a greased bowl and turn it once to coat both sides. Cover bowl of dough with plastic wrap, and let rise for 5 hours in a warm place until doubled in size. With your hands, flatten the dough on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle. Evenly distribute the lemon zest, raisins, apricots, and almond over the dough. Fold the dough to seal the fruit and knead to distribute the fruit throughout the dough.
  4. Line a 8-inch mousse ring with parchment paper that has been well buttered on both sides and set it on a baking tray. Place the dough in the mold, cover with a towel, and let rise for 45 minutes in a warm place. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F.
  5. Make a cross on the top of the bread with a sharp knife and insert a cube of butter. Bake the bread on the middle rack of the oven for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 180C/350F. Continue to bake for 30-35 minutes until the surface is golden and crispy. Place the bread on a rack to cool for 30 minutes before removing it from the mold. Dust the bread with icing sugar if desired. Be sure the bread has cooled completely before wrapping for storage.




Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Kasutera Japanese Sponge Cake



Kasutera is a traditional Japanese sponge cake, usually flavored with honey. There are now many kinds of kasutera, made with various ingredients. For example, there are kasuteras made with powdered green tea, cocoa, and also brown sugar.
  • 60 g German #550 flour
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 7 Eggs
  • 1/4 cup Honey
  • 220 g Sugar
  • 1 tsp Vanilla extract
  • 1/5 tsp Lemon juice



  1. Preheat the oven to 170C/340F. Line two 28x10cm loaf pans with parchment paper. Sift the flour and salt and set aside.



  2. Place the egg yolks, honey, 200 grams of sugar and vanilla in a bowl. Set the bowl over a pot of simmering water and beat at high speed until the mixture is thick and pale. Fold in the sifted flour in two additions.

  3. Beat egg whites electric mixer on a low speed one minute, and then add in lemon juice. Increase speed to medium-high and continue to beat until foamy. Sprinkle in 20 grams of sugar and beat until stiff but not dry. With a rubber spatula, fold the egg whites in thirds. Pour batter into two prepared pans. Bake the cake in the center of hot oven for 35-45 minutes.