Lemon Cheesecake

Assalamualaikum!

When I am at home, I have to keep my desserts simple because my mom would eat them after lunch and dinner, while my dad would savour them during the night when he is focusing on his work. My parents grew up with kuih lapis, kasui and akok so fancy and hard-to-pronounce desserts have to wait.However, one thing for sure is that my parents LOVE cheesecakes. LOVE LOVE LOVE them. Don't we all? So I made lemon cheesecake the other day…and it tasted heavenly! I am the kind of person who would stick to a recipe that I love, but I’ll certainly modify it to my liking! I used my Classic New York Cheesecake Recipe (here) and then add some lemon elements here and there to make this lovely lemon goodness. 

I love lemon cheesecake! Cheesecakes are of course rich and indulgent but having a hint of citrus definitely brings the creaminess down a couple notches. I've always seen a lot of cheesecakes with high crusts…meh..why not give it a shot?

Lemon Cheesecake

1 ¼  cup of finely crushed graham crackers** (2 ½ ±cup for high crust)

¼   cup of melted butter** (1/2 ±cup for high crust)

1 cup sugar

1 kg of cream cheese (4 packages)

½  cup sour cream

½ lemon juice 

3 tablespoon of lemon rind (About 2-3 lemons)

1 tablespoon vanilla

4 eggs

1. Preheat oven to 325 degree Fahrenheit (300 degrees if using a dark nonstick spring form)
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 and the sides 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, lemon rind, lemon juice and vanilla, 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 50 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.

Tips:

1. This cheesecake would not be fully set. The sides would be firmer but the middle part would still be slightly jiggly. It will fully set once you put it in the fridge.So once the sides starts to firm up turn off the heat.
2. The reason why you don't take the cheesecake out straight away is to avoid the cheescake from cracking. There would be instances where it will crack, but then again..you could always cover it with candied lemons or lemon curd.
3. When making a high crusted cheesecake, keep in mind that sometimes you may need more graham crackers and butter. Don’t be scared to add more butter if the crust seems a bit dry. Make sure you have extra on the side!To be honest, I rarely follow the measurements to make the crust..some people like a lot of it some don't. So adjust the thickness and amount of crust to your liking. 
4. Mix the ingredenits for the sake of mixing. DON'T OVER MIX the batter. Like other kinds of cakes, there are serious concequences to overbeating the batter. CHeesecakes are not meant to rise! Overbeating the batter would trap too much air in the cheesecake. Thus, causing the cheesecake to overflow when you bake it as the trapped air make its way out.SO once the ingredients are well blended.Stop.
5. Be creative. Compare this recipe with my Classic New York Cheesecake recipe. Not much difference really.So don't be scared to modify a recipe. Add some blueberries to make a blueberry cheesecake blueberry lemon cheesecake. Swirl in some Nutella, strawberry puree..Go crazy!

I should make some coffee cheesecake for mommy soon. I know she’ll love it.She is definitely blaming me for any weight gain and I should blame her as well….thanks ma for the rendang, laksa, singgang dan lain-lain.*sigh*

Till then, Wasalam.

Love,

Sofhan Hasni

Brûléed Cheesecake

Assalamualaikum.

The day before I left Montréal for good, the girls and I had our last lunch together at Lola Rosa on Milton. I ordered this scrumptious Ginger and Basil Crème Brûlée and DIED. Went to dessert heaven and came back. While I was enjoying my dessert, my friend was us telling about the Crème Brûlée cheesecake that her colleague made for her. What? Wait What? Crème Brûlée? Cheesecake? Creme Brûlée Cheesecake? WHAT?!!!!!!How in the world did I not know about its existence?! WHAT?!

Anyways, I did some research…turns out..Creme Brûlée Cheesecake is a brûléed cheesecake (I could be completely wrong but after looking at a couple of recipes, this was what I concluded). Basically you bake a cheesecake of any kind and let the baby cool. Once your delicious cheesecake has cooled, sprinkle some sugar on it and broil it under the broiler for a couple of minutes or use a blow torch to melt the sugar into a layer of sugar wonderland on your cheesecake. Serve immediately to have that “crunchy” effect.

Mind you it takes a split second for the sugar to burn. So broil the cheesecake in 350 degree celcius for only a couple of minutes (2-4 minutes).

Here I used my trusted New York Cheesecake recipe.

Hamna,hamna…come to mama…

Till then, Wasalam.

Love,

Sofhan Hasni

Baking Lessons: Back To Square One

Assalamualaikum

One thing that hit me hard when I started baking again here in Malaysua is that how I’ve been taking a lot of the recipes for granted all these time. Most recipes that I follow came from Australian or American/Canadian chefs/websites and most of the ingredients can be easily found in the grocery stores back in Montreal.

If you know me well enough, you’ll know that I have my go-to chocolate cake recipe that I ALWAYS use. Imagine how shocked I was when my fool proof chocolate cake looked like…well…let’s just say borderline inedible. The texture was so porous and…plastic-y. When you use the word plastic to describe a cake..you know how bad it was! So I was trying to understand what went wrong. After some observations…here are some lessons that I have learned so far.

First lesson: Chocolate Powder. In Malaysia, the cocoa powder and chocolate powder are two different things. It is something about being the cocoa being either Dutch processed or Broma processed. I am still learning about the two. Anyways, since there is a difference, it may be slightly tricky to guess which one to use in some recipes. I was lucky enough to join a class in Dough and Batter and the teacher was extremely helpful! I was told that the cocoa powder sold in most grocery stores like Van Houten is pure cocoa powder. Chocolate powder on the other hand is already mixed with some other additional ingredients including sugar. Using cocoa powder can make a cake dry and quite bitter. So for cakes, I would recommend you use chocolate powder. Chocolate powder can be found in stores that sells baking supplies. You can use cocoa powder to make chocolate crust or cookies I assume. I am also assuming that you can use cocoa powder in brownies or fudges, but then again, I can’t be 100% sure. I haven’t tried any recipes using cocoa powder just yet! I know I should…(read: chocolate crusted cheesecake)

Second lesson : Buttermilk. When you are making homemade buttermilk, use FRESH PASTUERIZED MILK instead of the usual UHT (Ultra High Temperature) milk. I have never seen UHT milk in grocery stores in Montreal before. Both kinds of milk are processed at different temperatures and duration. Thus the composition of the milk is different. Buttermilk contains acid. So there are different ways to make a buttermilk substitute at home. One of my favorite methods is to add acid based ingredients (lemon juice or vinegar) into milk. Pardon me for my lack of knowledge in food science but acids as such would coagulate fresh milk but it wouldn’t work the same in UHT milk. I’m assuming the lack of certain bacteria in UHT milk prevents the milk from coagulating. Another thing that frustrates me is how easy fresh milk turns sour in our hot weather.Sheesh, I need my own cow. =(

Third lesson: Eggs. Pay attention to the size of your eggs! In Malaysia, there is Grade A, B and C and there are also large, extra large etc. However, if you look closely…these sizes are not standardized. When I sued Grade A in my cake, it is still somewhat not big enough. So I have to look for extra large ones…or I could add more eggs in my batter. Not having enough eggs in the batter makes the cupcakes puff up real big and crack in the middle which is OKAY if you are planning to cover it with icing. Mind you the ‘puffing up” could be from random directions giving you odd looking cupcakes….oh well..They still taste good.

Fourth lesson: Butter Part 1. Now let’s talk about butter. Me being naïve and all believed that everything with the word butter on it is ACTUALLY butter. Nope. This may sound stupid but look on the packaging. Most of them are called “butterblend”. Which is usually a blend of both vegetable and milk fat. The price would be significantly different as well. These butterblends are usually about RM3-ish while pure butter can range from RM 6.00 to RM 10 per 250g or 1 cup of butter. Of course you can use butterblends in making pastries, cookies or even cakes, but don’t try using them to making frosting. ERK. Nope. Just No. Stick to butter. They are slightly more expensive, but still WAY yummier.

Fifth lesson: Butter Part 2. Since we touched a bit about butter and frosting… let’s talk about frosting. Whenever I make buttercream frosting, I’ll beat the butter using an electric mixer for a good couple of minutes to make it smooth before adding in the sugar. That’s not the case here in Malaysia. Outside temperature is too hot that beating the butter can just melt it into one gooey mess. Keep in mind that the idea behind beating the butter beforehand is to trap air into it. In Malaysia because the weather is hot, the air that is incorporated is also warm/hot. So the same method used in Canada could not be used here in Malaysia. Beating them too much would leave you with a runny frosting that is simply un-pipe-able (I can create new words can I?). I was told that I shouldn’t beat the butter more than 5 minutes. To be honest, you can simply use your trusted spatula to incorporate the sugar into the butter and chuck your electric mixer aside. It’s definitely the time for me to try other kinds of frosting. Yeay! I may need to rely on cream cheese frosting from now on.

Sixth lesson: Extracts. This may sound stupid but I just learned that rose extract does not taste like rose water. ERK! Thank goodness my parents found this Middle Eastern grocery store that sells rosewater. Phew. Also, if you are overseas and wanted to use pandan extract, smell and taste it first. I tried the Star Brand extract and the taste is so vile, I can’t even. Made my Kuih Bakar taste like medicine. A bad one that is.

Okay. Enough rambling for today. If you are new to baking or still learning like I am, I hope you are able to benefit from this post! If there are things that I have missed, do let me know!Happy baking!

Till then, Wasalam.

Love,

Sofhan Hasni

Failed Experiment: Maltsers Tofu Cheesecake

Assalamualaikum!

I recently moved back in with my parents back in Malaysia. Although I do get to eat mom’s delicious cooking, I have to adapt to having two little munchkins tugging on my hair and feet while I work on my laptop or making phone calls while one of the munchkins are wailing in the background. I am having my fair share of practicing with nappy changes and putting the little ones to sleep for God knows when. *breathe* I have a couple of months break before I start working in October. *breathe* Just after I type this a little boy comes to my side with a balloon wanting to play. This morning my little nephew tugs on my hair with anger after I wiped his booger. That is AFTER he wiped his nose on my hair. Oh the glamorous life of an auntie.

I still take time now and then to put my music on in the kitchen while I try different things. One of the things that I have been DYING to try making is the Tofu Cheesecake. Tofu is cheap here…so why not? As I was browsing through some recipes I stumbled upon a Maltsers cheesecake. Again why not?So I decided to combine both recipes and make Maltsers Tofu Cheesecake. The verdict? I don’t think it is one of my decisions that I have ever made.

It’s not a surprise that it is not as creamy as normal cheesecakes and there is indeed a hint taste of tofu, which I don’t really mind. The texture however is silky just like other no bake cheesecakes. Personally I think a tofu cheesecake is better if it is fruit or chocolate flavored. Some of you might ask errmmm why TOFU?! By using tofu you cut down the calories. You use half the cream cheese that you would usually use. So, personally if you really love cheesecakes and you don’t want to feel guilty about eating it, make a chocolate version, or fruit version.

If you were wondering… only my mum had the guts to try this cheesecake. My brother, brother in law, sister and father did not even TRY…

Why do I call this a failed experiment? I put cut up pieces of Maltsers in my cheesecake thinking that it would taste divine (I LOVE MALTSERS),but I was clearly wrong. The thing about cut Maltsers is that the malt on
the inside melts but not the chocolate coating; leaving weird hollowed half chocolate balls throughout the cheesecake. EEKK! Another thing about making Maltsers cheesecakes is that you add a little bit of malt powder…and that also did not turn out well…

So I don’t think it’s the tofu that needs to be chucked out the window. I think it’s the Maltsers..or the combination of both. I would certainly try a different version of a tofu cheesecake in the future…but Malstsers…ergh..

If it’s not too late, may I wish you Selamat Hari Raya, Maaf Zahir dan Batin.

Till then,Wasalam.

Love,

Sofhan Hasni

Homemade Blueberry Jam

Assalamualaikum

I rarely consume jams of any kind. Recently I rediscovered scones and what a delight it was! Especially if it is paired with some jam and cream! Whenever I buy jams, I usually use them as a glaze or in this case a filling for my cheese tarts. Since I rarely use them, a jar can last for a longggg time. Although it is not expensive, I don’t want to waste any. So I figured, why not make my own jam? There are no preservatives and I can control the amount that I make. :)

Original recipe:here

Blueberry Cheese Tart recipe: here

Homemade Blueberry Jam

1 cup or 2 pint blueberries

1 cup frozen blueberries, thawed

2/3 cups sugar

1 tablespoons lemon juice

1. In a saucepan, combine all of the ingredients.
2. Bring to a boil.
3. Once the blueberries soften, mash them using a form or a potato masher.
4. Set the heat to low and let the jam thickens (about 15-20 minutes)
5. Let cool to room temperature before refrigerating or using the jam.

Voila, it is extremely simple and divine! Perfect for gifts as well; packed in mini mason jars with a ribbon tied around them. So cute!

What am I up to now that I’m done with the Bachelor’s Degree? Chilling out and wasting time. Fun stuff.

Till then.Wasalam.

Love,
Sofhan Hasni

Pear and Almond Tart

Assalamualaikum!

I thought I’d have more time to blog in May but nope. I was busy stressing out over others things like graduation and moving to a different country. Anyways, I always made sure that I have time to try new recipes. One of the latest recipes I tried was an Pear and Almond Tart. I was surprised at how easy it is to make one and OH MY how delicious the tart is! I wouldn't mind having a slice or two for breakfast with my hot and steaming coffee on the side.Can't wait to make this for mom!

Original recipe here

Pear and Almond Tart

2 whole pears (I used Bosc Pears)

1 9-inch pie/tart crust

6 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

2/3 cup sugar

3/4 cup ground blanched almonds, almond flour/almond powder

2 teaspoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit
2. Poke the pie/tart crust with a fork or knife to make small holes all over it.
3. Cover with aluminum foil that is weighted down
4. Blind bake the pie crust for 20 minutes. Set aside.
5. In a bowl, cream the butter and sugar together.
6. Add the ground almond, all purpose flour, and cornstarch into the mixture and mix well.
7. Beat the egg into the mixture and continue mixing
8. Add in the vanilla extract.
9. Pour the mixture into the half baked tart crust and set aside.
10. Peel the pears and slice them into thin pieces.
11. Arrange these slices onto the tart.
12. Bake the tart for 50-60 minutes until the almond mixture is slightly puffed up and the pears are brown on the sides.
13. Glaze with some syrup or diluted jam or cover with powdered sugar before serving.

I brought this pie to our camping trip in May. I never realized what a city person I was until it crossed my mind to ask whether they have WIFI in the cabins…in the middle of the woods. I need to stop embarrassing myself.=.=’

Wherever you are, take care.

Wasalam,

Love,

Sofhan Hasni 

Strawberry Rosewater Mousse

Assalamualaikum!

I haven’t blogged for two months.Oh boy… Not that I haven’t baked or made desserts, but I just never got myself to blog about them. I have finally finished my Undergrad *Alhamdulillah*! So I have more time now to compile the recipes I’ve used before on my blog. Yeay.

One of my favorite desserts is mousse. I FREAKING LOVE MOUSSE. It’s light and fluffy. It’s like eating flavored clouds that melts in your mouth. AHAHAH. Amidst papers and midterms, I was obsessed by My Kitchen Rules! I learned so much from that show! Anyways, one of the groups made Raspberry and Rosewater Mousse and straight away, it went to my To-Try list. For some reason,(I cant think why now) I opted for strawberries instead of raspberries. Now I really want to try the raspberry version...soon.

I love everything roses; the flower itself and its amazing scent. The rosewater brings the strawberry mousse to another level! I never knew that there is such thing as a floral taste but trust me, IT’S AMAZING! This mousse can be quite sweet, thus reserving some of the balsamic strawberry purée balances it all out while adding a hint of sharpness in the mousse. *heaven*.

Strawberry Rosewater Mousse

3 egg whites

3/4 cup sugar

2 cup heavy/whipping cream

1 teaspoon of gelatin and 1/8 cup of warm water

1 pint of strawberries

1-2 tablespoons of rosewater

2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar

1. Using a blender, purée the strawberries and add the balsamic vinegar. Set aside.
2. Using an electric mixer beat the egg whites until foamy.
3. Then, add sugar, two table spoon at a time, until hard peaks form. Set aside
4. In a different bowl, whip the heavy/whipping cream until medium or hard peaks.
5. Fold the whipped cream ¾ of the balsamic strawberry purée into the egg whites mixture until well combined.
6. Add the rosewater. Adjust to your liking.
7. Melt some gelatin in the warm water and add it to the mixture as well.
8. In your serving cups/ bowls, spoon a layer of the remaining balsamic strawberry purée and then add your mousse.
9. Refrigerate before serving.

 I was contemplating whether or not I should add the refrigerate part. Lets be honest here. A HUGE CHUNK of the mousse already went into my mouth even before it went into the cups.=P imma walrus liddat. If you don’t want the balsamic strawberry purée layer, by all means add them all up into the mousse. The original recipe calls for a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and it was tooooo much for me. Burned my throat in every bite. But yeap. I still finished ALL OF EM.

Also, if you don’t have or don’t want to add in gelatin, don’t. You can definitely leave it out. It is better to use gelatin if you are using molds instead of cups.

Currently I’m living with 3 other amazing girls and two of them are Arabs. Whenever I went to an Arab household, it’s interesting to see what tea or coffee they serve and of course what kind of tea sets or cups they use! SO naturally, I had to use their coffee and tea cups as well as their tajine for decoration purposes. I really need to try a tajine recipe before I leave. They are so fancy, I feel like I need one.

You can also put em in a jar to give as gifts.=D

 Ain't it pretty?

Wasalam.

Till then, Love,

Sofhan Hasni.

Salted Caramel Buttercream

Assalamualaikum

After the last post, I think I should share the recipe for the Salted Caramel Buttercream. One thing for sure, this buttercream is SUPER SWEET.I mean…it is caramel… Combining it with cakes that are also sweet would be a disaster! So thank goodness my chocolate cake is on the less sweet side.

Salted Caramel Buttecream

1/3 cup of salted Caramel sauce (recipe here)

1 cup butter (room temperature)

1 cup shortening (room temperature)

3 cup icing sugar

1. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and shortening for about 2 minutes or until the mixture is fluffy.
2. Mix in the salted caramel sauce until well combined
3. Add the icing sugar ½ cup at a time. Taste the buttercream as you go. Mix well. 

Because we use less sugar than usual, it may be less stiff than usual.  Although the consistency is still perfect for piping, you can see how the buttercream is shinier and may be more sensitive to heat.

I decided to go for a simple swirl design for this cake. Decorating a cake in Malaysia can be pretty daunting. The heat melts everything! On the other hand, my salted caramel sauce stiffens reallllllly quickly here. Haih..what to do..Either I have to start piping my buttercream in the fridge when I’m in Malaysia, or pipe my salted caramel on the heater when I’m in Montreal…You do what you gotta do....

Here are some pictures of my first ever dessert table...

Thanks Farhana for the pictures! I feel so happy today...for unknown reasons..Alhamdulillah for everything. For the today's sunshine, today's meals, family's love,opportunities and everything else. Have you thanked our Lord today?:)

Take care, Wasalam.

Love,
Sofhan Hasni

Salted Caramel Sauce

Assalamualaikum!

Today was a beautiful day. I got to wear my skirt out! Yeay! I love wearing skirts. It’s all girly and feminine. I don’t know where I’m going with this…

A couple of weeks back; I was given the honor to decorate a dessert table. I was ecstatic! Too excited for my own good. =D I know I wanted to make a big cake because I wouldn't bake big cakes unless I have an occasion to serve them. Of course this is the perfect opportunity to try new recipes. What goes with chocolate? I know. Salted Caramel; it’s so delicious and requires only a couple of ingredients, can be eaten on buttered toast in the morning, can be drizzled on ice creams or brownies, or be turned into a scrumptious buttercream. So here is the recipe for a basic salted caramel sauce…

Original recipe: here

Salted Caramel

1 cup of granulated sugar

1/3 cup of (salted/non-salted/semi salted) butter, cut into small cubes

½ cup of heavy cream/whipping cream

1 teaspoon of salt

1. Put the sugar in a saucepan over a medium heat. Stir using a wooden spoon.
2. Melt the sugar until it is golden brown.
3. Stir in the cubed butter until it melts.
4. Then, add the cream into the sauce pan and mix well. Let it boil for about 1 minute.
5. Turn off the heat and mix in the salt.

The sauce may bubble throughout, so be careful! I don’t think it matters what kind of butter you use. If you use salted butter, and you don’t like extreme saltiness, reduce the amount of salt.or add more if you think it is not enough,it's your call. Let it cool a bit and be careful when you try your sauce. The smarty-pants me burned my tongue. Also, although the original recipe uses spatula, make sure yours can actually handle the heat!Mine melted!SO I had to re-do the recipe. Hah!=p

Here I made cake balls or I like to call them cake truffles using my salted caramel buttercream (recipe here) and drizzle the salted caramel sauce on top. YUM! Perfect as gifts or bite size dessert!

Its sunny out, go and take in all the sun!=D

Wasalam,

Till then.

Love,

Sofhan Hasni

Blueberry Cheese Tarts

Assalamualaikum!

I haven’t blogged in awhile.phew, being in your last year of uni is no fun! Fall semester came and went, and now hopefully, my last semester. I want to enjoy being a student while I still can... J

I just got back from a quick getaway to Quebec City. I freaking love that quaint little town. The architecture, the food, the view..It would've been lovelier if it wasn't snowing and my hands and feet weren't frozen!! We strolled through the Lower side of Old Quebec City; we went to the Ice Hotel, and also the Montmorency Falls. It was frozen. So I can finally tell people that I've seen a frozen waterfall. It was still so Magnificent!  Being such aunties that we are, we wouldn't leave that city without stopping at J.A Moisan. It is the oldest grocery store in North America. Boy, I wish I could just live there, right in the tea cookie section. It was BEAUTIFUL! I died and went to food heaven. I had to stop myself from getting more things that I don’t need. I convinced myself that I need these babies. I can just imagine them in my future kitchen. In between the big red porcelain cookie jar and my sexy red Kitchen Aid mixer. Hah! Okay the imagining part was a lie. But really...I know I would soooo regret not buying them. So I did. Now everyone knows where all my money went. =)

 Anyways, let’s start talking about desserts shall we? Whenever my older siblings went to their orthodontics appointments when we were younger, I always LONGED for the blueberry cheese tarts that were sold in a bakery near our orthodontists’. It was and still is a favorite of mine.It’s funny how I don’t think I like nor would I bake a blueberry cheesecakes, but for some reasons, I simply adore these tarts. Maybe it's the size? It’s one of my mum’s favorite too. So I can’t wait to make her some once I head back home. (Hi mom!)

Blueberry Cheese Tarts

20 Tart shells

1 cup(250g) of cream cheese (room temperature)

1 cup(250ml) of whipped cream

½ cup of sugar

about ¼ cup of blueberry jam

Food coloring (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit and blind bake the shells for 15 minutes or until the crust turns golden brown. Set aside
2. In a big bowl, using an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese and sugar until well incorporated.
3. In another bowl, whip the cream until the peaks are firm.
4. Slowly mix the whipped cream and cream cheese mixture together.Set aside.
5. Scoop about a half tablespoon of blueberry jam into the cooked tart shells. Then, dollop some of the cream cheese mixture onto the jam layer. Even the top of the cheese tarts using the back of a spoon or butter knife.
6. To create any designs, take some of the cream cheese mixture and add some food coloring in a separate bowl.
7. Using tooth picks or bamboo skewers, slowly create your designs on each of the cheese tarts.
8. Refrigerate for an hour or more to let the cheese tarts firm up.

You can definitely substitute the blueberry jam for strawberry jam or marmalade even. This recipe is incredibly easy. If you are serving this at an event,everything can be made earlier on and assembled on the day of. As usual I am not even ashamed of admitting that I used a store bought tart shells. I bought these shells in Provigo. Those are one of the things that I wouldn't waste my time on.  Please.. the extra hour or two to make those tart shells can be spent...well..napping =P

It's already Wednesday!Half of our reading week came and went, the amount of things need to be done is still a mountain high. Lord give us strength!Amin.

Wasalam.

Till then,

Love,

Sofhan Hasni

Marble Chocolate Torte

Assalamualaikum!

Hello people. It had been a crazy freezing week. Your nose dropping freezes on your face, the need to thaw your fingers when you are outside for a bit too long, your face freezes etc. This Malaysian tropical baby, do not like extreme chilliness.No. For some reason my balcony door is not as well insulated as it was before making my apartment a frozen kingdom. Gah! The beauty of winter in Montréal =P

Anyways, I have seen people posting pictures of tortes right, left and centre! What exactly is torte you may ask? I, to be honest, think that it is somewhat a firm ganache with a crust! So I finally made tried making this bad boy! Woot-woot. It wasn’t hard to make at all! And of course, like cheesecakes, you can be extremely creative with the recipe. You can add shredded ginger in the crust, use different kind of flavoured chocolates, put some biscuit/cookie/brownie chunks...ahh the list is endless!  I was thinking of making a white chocolate torte but I was afraid that it may be too creamy so I decided to make a marble chocolate torte instead. I wasn’t too sure about using a ginger flavoured crust with milk chocolate thus I made some salty coconut topping to give it extra texture. In my book, coconut works well with EVERYTHING. So here is the super duper easy recipe. Warning: if calories scare you, this dessert may not be the best for you.

Marble Chocolate Torte

100g unsalted butter

250g digestive biscuits crumbs

500g chocolate (250g white chocolate/250g milk chocolate)

400ml double cream/whip cream

1. Melt the butter using the microwave and add the biscuit crumbs. Mix well.
2. Spread the butter and biscuit mixture at the bottom of a 6 inch cake pan or small moulds. Set aside.
3. In a bowl, pour 100ml of the cream and heat it up in the microwave until it is hot (30 seconds)
4. Stir the milk chocolates in. Set aside to cool slightly.
5. Repeat the same process for the white chocolate.
6. In another bowl, whip the remaining cream until soft peaks form.
7. Divide the whipped cream into the two bowls of chocolate mixtures.
8. Pour the batter into the moulds or cake pan. Using a skewer make a marble pattern.
9. Refrigerate for a couple of hours or overnight

Pardon my DIY mould 

Such a simple recipe. No oven or stove needed! But I wouldn’t recommend making this often. I mean come on, you are practically eating chocolate and cream together on a bed of buttered buiscuits. That definitely screams healthy. I wish!

I made this dessert at Trisha, Abir and Jihad's new crib.LOVE THEIR APARTMENT TO BITS! Beautiful walls, fantastic kitchen and amazing location. It's a home for sure. Most importantly, their place is warm.I might as well pack my bags and move in. I wonder if I can pay rent using desserts...hurm..

Stay warm peeps.

Wasalam.

Till then,

Love,

Sofhan Hasni