Salmon with Tarragon Butter Sauce

Assalamualaikum!

During the exam season, I ate crap. Well, that's not really nice of me to say that since that is my rezk! However,I was pressed for time so I made fried rice with hot dogs. Very NUTRITIOUS and HEALTHY. I wish. I had four exams in one week which was crazy! After I finished my exams, I didn't really feel like eating rice so decided to pan fry some Salmon. I can't remember the measurements exactly but my dear friend wanted a recipe, so why not...

Salmon with Tarragon Butter Sauce

300g of salmon fillet

salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoon of olive oil
2 tablespoon of butter
2 sprigs of tarragon

1. Season the salmon with salt and pepper on both side.
2. Heat the olive oil in a pan. 
3. Once the oil is hot, put the salmon on the pan, skin side down.
4. Once the flesh near the skin turns opaque,flip the salmon and fry for a minute or so. 
5. Remove from heat and pat dry using a paper towel.
6. In the same pan, melt the butter using medium heat.
7. Add sprigs of tarragon and let butter brown for about 3 minutes.
8. Season with salt and pepper.
9. Pour onto salmon and enjoy.

From watching numerous cooking shows, I learnt that the best way to cook salmon is to leave the middle part translucent. In other words, cooking it half way. Usually while you let your fish rest, it will cook further on its own. But hey,I LOVE SASHIMI. So I wouldn't mind if my fish is raw.The butter that i used is semi salted.Feel free to add more salt or skip it altogether. It would've been lovely if this dish is served with perhaps some watercress salad on the side to wash the creaminess down.

Wasalam.
Till then,

Love,
Sofhan Hasni

Apple and Brie Crisscross Galette

Assalamualaikum

So when I made the Brie Stuffed Apples En Croute, I realized how beautifully Brie, apple and puff pastry work together. PERFECT MATCH. MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN. MEANT TO BE. Okay we get it. I was thinking of hashtagging those words just now but restrained myself. Hashtagging…The words we use these days. I tweeted,I googled, I hashtagged, I facebooked, I youtubed…goodness gracious me. Let’s not get carried away now shall we. My friend Trish and I went to the Fifth Harmony Concert awhile back. Talk about being OLD!!! These kids are not even close to being legal, came with their parents, and screamed when 1D song was on. Can you imagine how these girls would react if 1D is in front of them? HORROR! There we were, standing in the middle of school kids looking all awkward. Hahaha. I nearly lost my hearing but it was fun nonetheless. Acting all young and carefree while in my head all I could think of is school work! I’m such a party person. Not.

Anyways let’s get back to food shall we. After eating stuffed apples, it hit me, why don’t I just make a pie out of it? So I did. Yum Yum YUMM!(If you know me well enough, say this in my voice=p)  I was thinking of making a normal galette (free form pie) but…why not we play around and make crisscross pattern just for the fun of it.. and I did. Just like the stuffed apples, this pie/galette is perfect for tea or breakfast. Yes, Breakfast. You can have pie for breakfast. No one’s judging you. I just had biryani with korma for breakfast, so what? I once had salsa with eggs for breakfast too. Delish. All I’m saying is, no one should judge you for anything you do (reminding myself at the same time) especially not your breakfast plate.  Yummy breakfast is a  great kick start of the day. Go on...make this galette and enjoy the rest of your day…

Apple and Brie Galette

1 sheet of puff pastry

2 medium sized apples

50g brie

1 egg + 1 tablespoon of water

Honey (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit
2. Wash, peel and core the apples. Slice the apples thinly.
3. Arrange the apples on the puff pastry, leaving 1 inch boarders around the edges.
4. Put dollops of the brie on the onto the apples,
5. On the boarders of the pastry, cut half inch strips. Create a crisscross pattern using these strips.
6. In a bowl, mix the egg with water. Brush this mixture onto the pastry.
7. Bake for 15 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.
8. Serve with honey or glaze the pie with some jam mixed with water.

 It’s definitely not your average apple pie/galette. But it’s worth the try! 

Wasalam.

Till then,

Love,

Sofhan Hasni

Brie Stuffed Apples En Croute

Assalamualaikum!

It definitely has been awhile! This semester was crazy as usual. Midterms, quizzes, papers, break downs, finals etc. I have been baking a lot, but for some reasons, too lazy to type the recipe up.HAH! In October I went apple picking for the first time ever! It was amazing! Endless rows of apple trees with different colors and sizes for us to pick and eat. AMAZING I tell you. Zainab and I, being girls, took the first hour just taking pictures and posing here and there like nobody’s business. Then, we had a limited time to actually pick apples and pumpkins. We ended up with about 10 kg of apples. Boy oh boy! Jakun  uolls.

The apples were crunchy and juicy! Prior to this trip, I stumbled upon this recipe: here. This was where I got my inspiration from. To be honest, I don’t really care much about pears. I mean, I’ll eat them, but they wouldn't be my first choice from a fruit bowl. Anyways, I used apples instead of pears and add the honey AFTER I baked my apples. Apple en Croute is a bit too heavy for dessert but it is fantastic for breakfast or tea. Enjoy...

Brie Stuffed Apple en Croute

5 Medium sized apples

2 sheets of Puff Pastry

125g brie

1 egg + 1 tablespoon of water

Honey 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit
2. Wash the apples thoroughly. Cut the top of the apple and set aside.
3. Make a hole in the apple.
4. Fill the apple with a dollop of brie and cover the apple with its top.
5. Cut the puff pastry into one inch strips.
6. Wrap the apple with strips of puff pastry. Set aside
7. In a bowl, mix the egg and water.
8. Brush the egg wash (egg water mixture) on the pastry.
9. Bake apples for 15-20 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.
10. Drizzle with some honey

Fancy shmancy dishes are not that hard to make!:)

Stay warm Montrealers!:)

Wasalam.

Till then,Love,

Sofhan Hasni

Cream of Mussel Soup

Assalamaualaikum.

Its labour dayyy! So there is no school-yet. I shall start my final year tomorrow. Breathe..Breathe..Breathe..

It has been a week since I arrived and my sleeping patterns are still not fully adjusted. I am super sleepy in the evenings to the point of being zombified! My looong naps kept me awake at night and I barely sleep before fajr and stay awake after that. Like right now… The thing about being awake at night is that, after fajr I AM FAMISHED! Of course I always have food in the frigde.Eheh..I just finished my last bowl of Cream of Mussels and decided that I have to write my recipe down straight away before I forget! Like I usually do.

I went to PA Supermarche the other day and they were selling mussels for 4$!A complete steal I tell ya. Mussels are on of my favorite seafood. Who could resist a great mussel dish?This soup is fantastic for cold days like today!

So here is the recipe..

Original recipe here

Cream of Mussel Soup

1 ½ cup water

1 anchovy cube

1 cup of milk

½ cup of cream

1 whole onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

300g mussels

3 tablespoon of butter

Salt and pepper to taste

Parsley flakes (optional)

2 ½ tablespoon of flour

1. Clean mussels thoroughly and set aside.
2. In a pot, melt butter and sauté the garlic and onion.
3. Once the garlic and onion soften, add the anchovy cube. Stir for about a minute.
4. Pour in the water and let it simmer.
5. Add in the mussels and cover the pot with its lid for 5 to 6minutes.
6. Pour in the cream and milk.
7. Once the soup simmers, add 1 tablespoon of flour at a time and add more depending on the consistency of the soup.
8. Season the soup with salt, pepper and parsley flakes.
9. Serve with some toasted garlic bread.

Phew. That was quick and easy. Let’s make some coffee shall we? Or…go back to bed? Decisions decisions.

Wasalam

Till then,

Love,

Sofhan Hasni

Toblerone Cheesecake

Assalamualaikum!

When I was at my parents place, I had plenty of time to type down new recipes that I’ve tried and experimented on. However, there was always this little assistant of ours who was constantly amazed and forever captivated by any sorts of gadgets…Lo and behold, meet Ngum ngumm...my sweetheart andd...my heart breaker..

Kids these days..

We had a few ginormous bars of Toblerone in our fridge that my BIL 1.0 brought from Perth. I asked my sister if she wanted a Toblerone Cheesecake and of course… who would ever resist such decadent chocolate dessert? I can’t remember who came up with the idea first. Us sisters gossip about food almost constantly! Our whatsapp group is filled with either food or ngum ngumms photos. No surprises there...

This Toblerone Cheesecake is one of the easiest cheesecakes I've ever made. It’s a no-bake cheesecake and no gelatin/agar is required. I decided to use Tiger biscuits which are energy biscuits sold in South East Asian countries. The amount required was a lot more than I had on hand so I decided to use some Coconut biscuits as well. It was SPOT ON! I wished I have used only coconut biscuits instead of them together. The coconut flavor balances the strong chocolatey taste really well. It gives an extra tropical kick that was simply lovely in your mouth.

I made this right before we left for my farewell dinner. I was scrambling and rushing to get things done. Instead of crushing the biscuits using the Ziploc-and-rolling pin method or using a food processor, I decided to crumble the biscuits using my hands. The biscuits weren't finely crumbed and there were still a whole lot of big chunky pieces. Again, surprisingly, it worked really well. I really like the crunchiness that it gives in every bite. If you like silky smooth desserts, then I’d suggest you use the food processors and processes those biscuits to sand like texture instead. But really, you should give the crunchy crust a try! One thing that I don't miss is sweaty cakes.Oh boy...

Original Recipe here

Toblerone Cheesecake

1 ¼ cup biscuit crumbs

80g butter, melted

500g Cream Cheese

1/2 cup sugar

300g Toblerone, melted

1/2 cup whipping cream

1. Line an 8-inch round cake pan with parchment paper, set aside.
2. In a bowl, combine melted butter and breadcrumbs Press the mixture firmly into the cake pan. Set aside.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar until well combined. Set aside.
4. In a different bowl, whip the whipping cream until soft peaks form.
5. Fold the whipping cream into the cream cheese batter.
6. Add in the melted Toblerone and mix well.
7. Pour the cream cheese batter into the cake pan. Refrigerate 2-3 hours or overnight until set.

This was our farewell dessert dish that I didn’t get to enjoy it with my sister. She was working on the day that I left. So I had to enjoy it without her and her without me. Bummer! I barely finished my slice before we left for the airport, so today, I’m planning to make another one with a different crust.Wooot woot!

A few more days till school reopens. Final year. MAJOR YIKES!

Happy Independence Day Malaysia!

Wasalam.

Till then,

Love,

Sofhan Hasni

Kek Lumut Sarawak/ Sarawak Moss Cake

Assalamualaikum!

I am finally back in Montreal. OH HOW I MISS THIS CITY. I miss my family back home already too:(

Summer was amazing. Although all I did was stuff my face with food, sew bajhillion things, help mommy with house chores and of course babysit my lovely ngumm ngumm, it was absolutely  perfect for me. Well it would be EVEN MORE perfect if I actually finished all the things that need to be done. Oh well.. I could always do it tomorrow…or the day after..=P All in all, I had a blast spending ALL of my time with my family. I definitely needed it. I won’t be seeing them till next year, so yes, I need my family’s encouragement, advices, hugs and kisses to push me forward and keep me going throughout this year. I AM PUMPED BABY! Then again, my flight landed merely 48 hours ago..we’ll see…

Summer last year, my mum showed me the recipe/pictures of  Kek Lumut Sarawak (Sarawak Moss Cake). For some reason I never got myself to do it and that’s ALL she ever wanted. I made éclairs, cream puffs, cheesecakes, but no, all mummy wanted was a slice of this moist green cake. It’s freaking GREEN guys. GREEN!So this year, I was determined to make that cake for mommykins.  You see, I RARELY make any Malaysian kuihs or cakes. I guess that’s why it took me longer to actually make it. Let me correct that, I have NEVER MADE any Malaysian cakes  before and the kuihs I made were pretty much disastrous, barely edible. Sigh, I should try harder next time. Kuih Koci, Apam,Kasui…ohh la la..

This Kek Lumut thankfully, was easy to make and tastes divine. The texture was moist and soft. It tasted like Horlicks and creamy Kaya.(Note: Kaya is some sort of Coconut Jam, says Wikipedia)  TO DIE FOR . If I could change anything, I’d reduce the amount of sugar next time (We Malaysians surely are not afraid of diabetes). So mummy and I were extremely happy with the result. Sorry it took me a year to make it mom! Since the cake was steamed and not bake, it’s pretty much foolproof. So mum, next time you miss me (or you want more cake), please make this cake. It’s EASY, so no excuses.=D

Original recipe here

Kek Lumut Sarawak/ Sarawak Moss Cake

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup Horlicks

½ cup sugar

250 g butter

4 eggs

4 tablespoon of Kaya (Coconut Jam)

¼ cup condensed milk

1 tsp vanilla

Green coloring (as much/little as needed)

1. Using a mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Add in the eggs, one at a time. Continue mixing.
3. Beat in the Kaya and condensed milk .
4. Add the flour and Horlicks alternately until well incorporated.
5. Lastly, add in the vanilla as well as the green coloring.
6. Spray an 8-inch round baking pan with oil and dust it with flour.
7. Line the baking pan with parchment paper and pour in the cake batter.
8. Cover the top with aluminum foil.
9. Place the pan in a large steamer and steam for 2 to 2 ½ hours.

To be honest, I don’t understand why we have to color it green and call it Lumut. I guess without the color it’ll be just “cake” ...and "cake" is too mainstream? Just like Red Velvet Cake. Without the red colouring, we normal people call it chocolate cake.I still don't get the hype over Red Velvet Cakes. It's chcolate cake thats is red in colour for God sake.Why do we need that extra step and give these cakes different names? We don’t call the usual chocolate cake Velvet Cake now do we? Baffled. I is baffled.

Wasalam.

Till then, 

Love, 

Sofhan Hasni

Egg Tarts

Assalamualaikum

I am so happy that I got to finish two books in a about a week time. I haven’t done that for a long long time. I miss those days when I can finish a book in a day or two. I should go to the bookstore soon and pick out a couple of books to read before I start looking for a summer job. Can’t wait!

Let’s focus on food now shall we? I LOVE LOVE egg tarts! I mean who doesn’t?! I have no idea how Cantonese or Hong Kong or Taiwanese egg tarts differ. I mean, I found recipes using puff pastries and some used pie dough as base. Hurm..oh well. They are still egg tarts in the end!  

I found an easy recipe here and decided to sell them during the South East Asian night.  As usual, I bought the readymade crusts from Provigo because I would never have the time nor patience to make about 100 tart shells. No!No way.

Egg Tarts

3 eggs

½ cup of caster sugar

1 cup of hot water

1/3 cup of milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Whisk eggs with milk until well incorporated. Set aside.
2. Pour the hot water in a bowl or cup and add sugar. Mix until dissolved.
3. Pour the hot water into the egg mixture little by little. Mix well after each addition.
4. Sift egg mixture to get rid of any foam. Carefully pour egg mixture into each tart shell.
5. Preheat oven to 400 Fahrenheit. Position oven  rack in lower third of the oven. Bake tarts for 10 to 15 minutes until the edges are lightly brown.
6. Lower the heat to 350.Once the custard puffed up a bit, pull the oven door ajar.
7. Bake for another 10 to 15 minutes until the custard is cooked through.
8. Just insert a toothpick into the custard. If it stands on its own, it’s done.

All I have to say is.. adding some whipping cream on top would not hurt anybody. Really.

Wasalam.

Till then, Salut.

Love,

Sofhan Hasni

Matcha Greentea Cupcakes

Assalamualaikum!

I am finally back in Malaysia!=D Europe was amazing, but by the end of the trip,10 days of non-stop walking, sight seeing and getting lost, I am ready to head back home to my family. It had been a year since I last saw them. Ahhh..home sweet home.

In the month of May, I didn’t really have any time to bake anything. Summer course was ridiculously hectic and all of the weekends were filled with picnics, outdoor activities and get-togethers. So there was either no time or no energy left for me to bake anything! Once I’m done with my exams, I FINALLY could put my apron on and start trying out new recipes.

I am A BIG fan of green tea. BIG FAN. Okay I lied. I’m a coffee person and if I have to drink any kind of tea, I’d go for The Tarik or Tea Latte hands down. I don’t really fancy hot green tea but I do love green tea fraps or latte and also ice creams. I bought some Matcha Green Tea Powder recently and experimented with it. I tried making Green Tea Cupcakes and Oh La La! It was amazeballs! I paired the cupcakes with Honey Buttercream Icing. The earthy flavor of the green tea marries the creamy sweet icing perfectly!

Original recipe from Amy's Food Adventures : here

  

Matcha Greentea Cupcakes

Yields 12 

1/2 cup + 6 tablespoons cake flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

A pinch of salt

3 tablespoons of  milk

1 tablespoon matcha powder

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

1/4 cup melted butter at room temperature

4 large egg yolks

4 large egg whites

12 tablespoons sugar (3/4 cup)

1. Preheat oven to 350 °F and line muffin tin with paper liners.
2. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl and set aside.
3. Whisk milk, vanilla, and matcha powder together and set aside.
4. Whip egg whites with 6 tablespoon of sugar until they hold a soft peak when beaters are lifted.
5. In a separate bowl, whip egg yolks with remaining 6 tbsp of sugar until doubled in volume and a pale, butter colour.
6. Fold whipped whites into yolk mixture.
7. Fold flour into whipped eggs in two additions. Stir a spoonful of batter into milk mixture then add all back to batter, folding quickly to incorporate.
8.  Fold in the melted butter in two additions.
9.  Pipe or spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, 3/4-full. Gently tap the muffin tin on the counter to even out the batter and to break some of the air pockets.
10.  Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until cupcake springs back when touched. Let cool.

It may be slightly complicated compared to other cupcakes recipe, but trust me, it’s worth it!=D

Have a great summer everyone!

Wasalam.

Till then, Goodnight,

Sofhan Hasni

Cooked Buttercream Icing

Assalamualaikum

I was looking for a delicious icing recipe that won’t give us cavity and obesity. SO my friend introduced me to cooked buttercream icing. Oh my. It requires less butter and less sugar and it tastes like a pudding. PUDDING IN BETWEEN CAKE LAYERS.*cries*

Anyhoot, here is the recipe...

Cooked Buttercream Icing

1 cup of milk

4 tablespoon of all purpose flour

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1 cup sugar

1 cup softened butter

1. Place the milk in a saucepan and whisk in the flour.
2. Cook over medium high heat, stirring continuously, until it becomes a very thick smooth paste. This can take 3-4 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and let cool completely.
4. Beat the cooled flour/milk mixture vanilla on high speed for 4 minutes. It will become a smooth paste again.
5. In a separate bowl combine sugar and butter together with an electric mixer.
6. Blend on high for 4 minutes.
7. Combine both mixtures together and beat on high speed with an electric mixer for 3-4 minutes until super fluffy.

Note: if making Cooked Chocolate Butter cream, add ¼ cup of chopped chocolate that is melted in the buttercream.

You could also tint the buttercream with coloring if you like.

Original recipe from here

I don’t have a proper picture but I used cooked chocolate buttercream in this cake.Soooo delicious that you could eat it on its own.

Wasalam.

Till then,

Love,

Sofhan Hasni

Cream puffs/ Profiteroles

Assalamualaikum!

God! I have been away for so long! I missssss blogging. Sharing my kitchen experiments and recipes.Oh hello world. I realized that I kept on writing about how busy I am in EVERY SINGLE POST..oh well.I am,  after all a student. Finals and deadlines came and went and now summer school. Another round of deadlines, quizzes and finals. Oh joy! 

Since the last time I blogged, which  was ages ago I actually have quite a number of recipes to blog about. To me, blog is not just for sharing recipes but it is my online recipe book. Often times I forget what I put in what, so you’ll find me engrossed with my phone in the middle of the grocery store trying to figure out which fruit/veg/flour to buy to make something.All hail technology!

Anyhoots, I have been wanting to make cream puffs/profiteroles for the longest time. I don’t know why but I just never did. So Deana who is my baking Guru (hello Deana!), gave me her extremely easy and delicious cream puff recipe. I made these babies for the South East Asian Night. It was a blast!

The cream puffs were easy to make and you could make anyyyy kind of fillings!Really. ANY KIND.So I made Strawberry Cheesecake filling , Chocolate Butter Cream filling and the Classic Custard filling.

Cream puffs

250 ml water (or milk for richer taste!)

100 g butter

1/2  teaspoon salt

1/2  teaspoon sugar

150 g all-purpose flour

4 to 5 eggs

1. Preheat oven to 425 degree Fahrenheit
2. Put milk/water, salt, sugar and butter that is cut into small pieces into a pot .Place pot on medium high heat.
3. When the mixture is boiling, quickly take off the heat, and add the flour one shot. Stir vigorously (to avoid flour lumps!)
4. Put the pot back on the heat and continue stirring until it forms a ball that doesn’t stick to the sides or the wooden spoon
5.  Transfer to dough into another bowl, and let it cool for a second, by stirring it. (an electric mixer is nice here, but its do-able by hand as well)
6. Using an electric mixer, start adding the eggs. Add one, mix thoroughly before adding the next. At the 4th egg, you'll start adding the fifth egg in small quantities until you get the right consistency*.
7. line a pan with parchment paper
8. Bake for about 10~15 min, or until it rises and becomes a golden color. After that reduce the temp to 350 degrees for another 10 minutes or so.
9. You know they are ready when you knock them and they sound hollow.
10. Once they are cool use a serrated knife to cut the shells in half. Fill cream puffs with your favorite fillings!
11. Feel free to dust them with some powdered sugar!

 

 

*Note: right consistency is when you make a line through the batter with the wooden spoon, it closes on itself slowly. Or if you take a blob of it on your finger, it shouldn't be too stiff, or too runny. It should for a soft "hook" (kinda looks like soft ice cream)

Classic custard filling (pastry cream) : recipe here

Strawberry cream cheese filling: recipe here.

Please try this recipe. It’ll be amazing with a good cup of tea or coffee. I know it’s raining outside and kinda cold for a summer day. But still..the air feels fresh and clean. Open your windows or balcony doors and let the cold wind in. Any kind of weather is a blessing.

Wasalam.

Till then,

Love,

Sofhan Hasni

Fruit Tart

Assalamualaikum!

Spring is finally here Alhamdulillah! I could finally take out my dresses and skirts from storage!Woot woot. Soon would be the barbecue season!Ahhh can’t wait! I miss those days when I don’t have to worry whether my coat is thick enough to last me the whole day or having to put lotions in my bag for reapplications through out the day.Bliss!

It's funny how I’ve been meaning to blog for the past couple of weeks but I was too busy with school work. Now when I actually have time to sit down..I sat here in front of may laptop..and my mind went completely blank. Which recipe should I write first?Which photos do I have to edit first?oh wait..where are the photos?=.=’ Not cool Soffy. Not Cool...

A couple of weeks back our lovely Kak Isma wanted to learn how to make a fruit tart. It sure brought back memories!When I first came to Montreal, fruit tart was the first dessert I made. That was THREE years ago!How time flies!So here is the recipe for fruit tart to which kak Isma said.. "sedap sangat rasa nak nangis”.AWWWW!

 

Sugar Crust/Pâté Sucree

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup butter(cold)

2 to 3 teaspoon cold water (or more depending on the consistency of the dough)

1 tablespoon of sugar

1. Cut the cold butter into chunks.
2. In a big bowl, put in the flour, sugar and chunks of cold butter.
3. Using your fingers or fork, combine the flour,butter and sugar until crumbly
4. Add in water little by little until the crumbs come together to form a ball of dough.
5. Wrap the dough in a plastic wrap and leave in the fridge for 15-20 minutes
6. Preheat the oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit in the mean time.
7. Place the dough on a well floured surface after removing it from the fridge.
8. Roll it out using a rolling pin or simply press them using your palms.(no one is judging!)
9. Place the rolled dough on a 9 inch pie pan.
10. Cut off the excess dough.
11. Using a fork make small holes on the bottom of the pie crust
12. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the crust is golden brown

Pastry Cream

1 1/4 cups

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1. In a bowl beat the eggs with sugar until combined
2. Sift the flour and corn starch into the mixture and continue mixing until a paste is formed. Set aside.
3. In a saucepan, bring the milk to just boiling (foams up). Remove from heat.
4. Add the milk to the egg sugar mixture a few tablespoons at a time to avoid the curdling of the eggs.
5. Once the egg sugar mixture is warm enough, pour in all of the milk and mix well
6. Put the mixture back into the saucepan on low heat and stir continuously.
7. Once it thickness, wait for a about 2-3 minutes   and remove from heat.
8. Stir in the vanilla

Fruit Tart

Pate Sucree/ Sugar Crust

Pastry Cream

Fruits of your choice

1. Spread the pastry cream evenly on the crust
2. Slice the fruits of your choice into small pieces.
3. Arrange the fruits on the pastry cream to your liking.
4. Chill the fruit tart for at least half an hour in the fridge before serving

Give it a try!=D

Sorry for the bad pictures.It was dark and we were...well...impatient?=p

Original pastry cream recipe from: here

Take care!Wasalam

Till then, Love,

Sofhan Hasni 

Black Diamond

Assalamualaikum

The break is over! NOOO! Back to reality baby! No more waking up late. No more brunches and dinners and gossips. Oh no!

One of the highlights of my break..or wait..one of the highlights of 2013 is…. I did it! I told you I’m going to challenge myself to ski down the Black Diamond slope..and that’s what I did! Alhamdulillah. It was crazy! Surprisingly it wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. My nerves got to me the first time around as I somersaulted, slided, rolled in different ways down. The second time however, it was better! Last year I was scared of the height and speed. 

Alhamdulillah, I overcame those fears and REALLY REALLY enjoyed skiing. I was thinking of joining another trip to the slopes to which my mum was like..”op..op..dah dah la tu”. My mum was just worried. The day after the trip every inch of my body hurts. The next day I got myself a massage and yeap..my back was bruised. It was crazy and is much fun. 

So.. Bungee Jumping next? We’ll see…

Take care and stay safe!

Wasalam.

Till then, Love.Sofhan Hasni

Tiramisu Charlotte Cake

Assalamualaikum.

The girls and I decided to have an all girls lunch/dinner/gossip/bonding session last Wednesday. We feasted on Nasi Lemak, Rendang, Fruit Tart , Chocolate Cake, Tiramisu and bottles and bottles of Barbicans. It was a fun day to let loose. Sit around and just chat like nobody’s business.

I wanted to make Tiramisu for awhile now. The last time I made it was a year ago. That time I made a Tiramisu trifle so this time I decided to my hands on a Tiramisu cake. It wasn't a complete success but wasn't a complete disaster either. My friends liked it. But it wasn't as coffee-ish as I would like it to be. But then again, they are not coffee crazy like I am. If it is a coffee flavored cake…it BETTER taste like coffee. So next time, I’ll be sure to drench my vanilla sponge cakes in coffee. DRENCH DRIPPING COFFEE GOODNESS NEXT TIME!

Making Tiramisu is not hard AT ALL. You could simply make an easier version buy substituting the vanilla sponge cakes to ladyfingers or savoiardi which is not even expensive. Mine was a  dollar for a humongous packet of cookies. Also, Mascarpone can be quite pricey especially in Malaysia. So for this recipe, I usually use cream cheese. It’s cheaper and STILL delicious. It’s easy, its delicious and its pretty. What could go wrong?

original recipe from: here

Vanilla Sponge Cake

2 cups cake flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup butter at room temperature

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 egg yolk

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

3/4 cup buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degree F
2. Sift the dry ingredient i.e. cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside
3. In a big bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and well combined.
4. Beat in the egg yolk, eggs and vanilla into the butter mixture, one at a time.
5. Add the dry ingredients and buttermilk into the butter mixture alternately. Starting and ending with the dry ingredients.
6. Divide cake batter in two 9-inch lined and oiled springforms.
7. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean after being inserted in the middle of the cake.

Coffee mixture

1 cup of hot water

1 teaspoon of instant coffee powder

2 tablespoon of sugar

1. Mix everything together and set aside

Filling and frosting

1 cup of cream cheese

2 cups of heavy cream

¾ cup of icing sugar

1. In a bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar together until light and well mixed. Set aside
2. In another bowl, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form.
3. Using a spatula slowly fold in the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.

Tiramisu Charlotte Cake

2 Vanilla cakes

Filling and frosting

Coffee mixture

Ladyfingers or savoiardi

1. Place one of the vanilla sponge cakes on a serving plate.
2. Using a knife, stab and make holes in the cake.
3. Using a spoon, slowly pour coffee on the top of the cake. Use as much as you need.
4. Cover the top of the cake with half of the filling and frosting mixture.
5. Repeat the same steps with the other cake layer. However, save some of the filling and frosting mixture to cover the sides of the cake.
6. Once the sides of the cake is iced, cut (if needed) about 1 cm-2 cm of the ladyfingers and arrange them on the side of the cake.
7. Refrigerate overnight to let the cakes and ladyfingers to soak in the flavors.
8. Cover the top of the Tiramisu cake with chocolate powder or shaved chocolate.

 

 tie a ribbon around it and sprinkle some chocolate powder :)

The ladyfingers-around-the-cake makes this Tiramisu cake a Charlotte cake. It’s a “decorating” technique where cakes/pudding/tarts are surrounded with a wall of ladyfingers or breads. It’s easy to do and works perfectly as a gift. Just tie a ribbon around it! No hassle and PUFF, a sophisticated and decent looking cake is created.

There are a few changes that I would make next time.

First, THE COFFEE FLAVOR  I need more of it! I’ll definitely take my time to make sure every inch of my cakes is filled with coffee. Also, I’d add some coffee mixture on the filling and frosting mixture as well. Oh wait..maybe I could put some coffee powder in my cake too? Ehehehe.

Second thing is, I need a better ribbon and learn a better way to tie a proper ribbon.

Third thing that I may or perhaps YOU may want to change is the ratio of the cream cheese and heavy cream.  I used more cream in this recipe, it is a lot lighter and less cream cheese concentrated. If you want a heavier and cheesier taste, feel free to switch the ratios of the two.

Since kak Isma’s birthday is next week , we decided to use this cake as her birthday cake. Yeay!

Thank you for being a great kakak to all of us here! HUGS!

Okay I need to make dinner and continue studying. Meehun Sup for dinner. Yeay! 

Take care! Wasalam.

Till then, 

Love,

Sofhan Hasni

Classic New York Cheesecake with Mixed Berry Topping/ Marble Chocolate Cheesecake

Assalamualaikum!

I remembered the first time I made cheesecake. It was for Eid when I first got here. When I first got here I didn't really know how to cook. I would go on Google and search for recipes (still do) and go to Loblaws after school and try make a decent meal out whatever I bought. We were ambitious. I was at least. Kuew Teaw (I still don’t know how to spell it) Hong Kong la, Tomyam from scratch la, apple strudles  la..and of course..cheesecake. I finally tried making a cheesecake again about a month ago and made another two on Thursday and Friday. Again, these cakes are made for a birthday. A special someone who is devoting her life for charity work. She is none other than our bonda in Montreal, Auntie Sabria. Illya and I stayed at her place when we first got here. She is always on her feet cooking for shelters, homeless people, weddings, iftars, Islamic gatherings and the list goes on. She is well known in Montreal for her contribution and of course, her big heart!

Auntie Sabria loves cheesecake, so for her birthday celebration with MSA McGill, I decided to make her a cheesecake. Since a lot of people were coming, I was told to make two cakes. Mind you, I have NOT mastered the art of making a crack-less cheesecake. My springform pan is too big for my roasting dish thus I can’t use the water bath system. Oh well.. I’m not sure if that would stop these cheesecakes from cracking. It’s really puzzling when a website tells you NOT to open the oven door as the cold air would somehow make the cake crack while other sites tells you that you should take it out immediately or some would say use water bath, some say you don't, some say check your oven….Whaaa? I really think we should have a Global Cheesecake Conference to actually come to an agreement and stop confusing clueless newbie baker like I am. Oh stahp!

I made a classic new York cheesecake with two different variations! Yeay!

Original recipe here

Classic New York Cheesecake

1 ¼ cup of finely crushed graham crackers

¼ cup of melted butter

¾ cup sugar

1 kg of creamcheese (4 packages)

1 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon vanilla

4 eggs

1. Preheat oven to 325 degree Fahrenheit (300 degrees if using a dark nonstick springform)
2. Spray the insides of a 9-inch springform. Set aside
3.  In a bowl, mix the crushed graham crackers and melted butter together. Press firmly on the bottom of spring form.
4. Bake for 10 minutes and set aside.
5. Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar together until well combined.
6. Add in the sour cream and vanilla and continue mixing.
7. Add in the eggs into the mixture. One at a time.
8. Pour the mixture on to the baked crust and bake for 55 minutes to 1 hour.
9. Turn off the oven and let the cheesecake rest in the oven for another hour with the oven door slightly ajar.
10. Refrigerate for a couple of hours.

 You’ll see that by this time, the middle part of the cheesecake would still be jiggly. But really, it’s done. It’ll firm up once it cools. And yes. I kid you. You are DEFINETLY welcomed to dig right innnn!Do it..I won't judge..

   

Mixed Berry Topping

¼ cup of strawberry jam (or any berries)

1 tablespoon of water

Strawberries and blueberries (Or any of your choice)

1. Mix the jam with water and heat it in the microwave for about 30 seconds.
2. Spread the jam over the top of the cheesecake.
3. Arrange the berries on the jam.

 Chocolate Marble Cheesecake

½ cup of melted chocolate

1. At step 8 (refer to NY cheesecake above), add dollops of melted chocolate in the cheesecake batter.
2. Using a knife or bamboo skewer, swirl the melted chocolate around the batter to create a marble effect.
3. Put in oven as stated in previous recipe.

  

Oh hello Grand Canyon!

Err.could this pass as art?=P

Sorry this photo is extra bad. had to rush to deliver these babies!

 

Since the marble cheesecake cracked, I melted some more chocolate and filled in the cracks. I then refrigerate it for about an hour to let the chocolate set. Teehee.

The cheesecakes were absolutely delicious! Oh wait! I didn't try the marble chocolate one. Oh well, I hope it tested great too. Hihi. Making cheesecake are definitely easy BUT, tedious if you want to make it EXACTLY perfect! If I’m eating on my own, I wouldn't mind if there’s a Grand Canyon in the middle of my cheesecake. HECK! It’s cheesecake for God sake!

Okay. Now I’m hungry..=.=’

Goodnight Lovelies!

Wasalam.

Till then,

Love,

Sofhan Hasni