Durian Profiteroles!

First and foremost...Ramadhan ya Mubarak to all Muslims around the world, and especially to my fellow blogger peeps! I have decided not to take any orders for Raya cookies this year..I need this time to reflect and try to do  more ibadah, inshaallah...I have been asked to bake this and that during this fasting month, I can only wait and see this weekend. As I do not think I would have any energy left to bake at night, after having to rush home and prepare for iftar, cleaning the kitchen and prepare the kids for their tarawikh....shower and do my tarawikhs! If at all I would bake during the weekend. Having said all this, it has been almost a year that my maid left, and I think we are all coping pretty ok. The kids are more independent...even Hajar makes her own jam and butter sandwich nowadays!

Enough said....it is "durian runtuh" this year...the durian harvest is aplenty in my kampung in Baling and sister's inlaws place in Mesjid Tanah. So, I decided to try this out....Durian Profiteroles! I used Dorie Greenspan's recipe for the choux pastry and Rima's recipe which I had tweaked for the Durian pastry cream!

Ingredients

Choux Pastry

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup milk

8 tbsp butter, softened

1 tbsp sugar, I omitted

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup all purpose flour, sift

4 large eggs

Durian Pastry Cream

3 egg yolks

1/4 sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup milk

15g corn flour

1 tbsp buttert

250g durian flesh...I really had to hold my breath....I can't stand durians!

Method

Choux Pastry

1. Prepare your baking tray, lined with baking paper. I used Mastrad silicon sheets for macarons...woohooo!

2.Warm your oven, mine was at 190C.

3.Over medium heat bring to boil water, milk, butter and salt. 

4.When boiling, add flour all at once,  and mix using a wooden spoon. Keep stirring energetically until the dough comes together to form a ball that is shiny. Keep stirring until you get a thin layer of flour at the bottom of the pan, cook for another 1 or 2 minutes. Turn off the heat, keep stiring for another 3 or 4 minutes to cool down a bit, and transfer into a mixing bowl.

5.You have your muscles left still, you can used a wooden ladle to continue working on the dough (which I have done before, and got my biceps like Popeyes'!), otherwise use a mixer!

6.Using a paddle attachment, whisk the dough, and add eggs one by one. The mixture will split, but will come together when you add the 3rd egg...okay!

7. Gradually the dough will form a beautiful shiny mass that is thick but will flow slowly....

8.Transfer the dough into a piping bag that you have snipped the top, or you can use a piping tip of about 1 inch in size. I piped onto Mastrad...so, I have uniformed round shapes!

9. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes until the dough becomes puffed and brown.

10.Once out of the oven, I quickly snipped off a part of the pastry to let the hot air out, and left to cool.

Durian Pastry Cream

1.Mix the egg yolks, sugar, corn flour, durian flesh until well blended, set aside.

2.Warm the milk and vanilla until boiling point, remove 1/3 of this mixture and add with the egg yolks, sugar, corn flour and durian mixture.

3.Pour back the mixture into the remaining milk in the pan, over medium heat, stir until the mixture thickens and bubbly, set aside in a bowl. Cover with cling film so a skin would not form.

I prepared this first before preparing the choux pastry!

Chocolate Ganache

50g dark chocolate, I used Valrhona Manjiri...hehe just got my stock from Rima

50ml whipping cream, 30% fat content

Bring the whipping cream to boil. Remove from fire, add the dark chocolate, stir until well combined, and let cool.

Actually when I made this, it brought back the memories when I first tried my hand making Profiteroles...after that Mrs N ordered, and that actually kicked off this whole baking thingy!...and because Mrs N loved durians to bits...I actually made this for her belated birthday!...the whole bakes look so good, so much so that I had a bite...mamamamia...memang sedaaaappppp....the choux pastry just melts in the velvety soft pastry cream and the taste of durian just lingers on ...and on...and on....sumpah tak tipu!haha...go on make this for your bukak posa dessert!

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 Thank you Izzat.

 Thank you Rohaida, mac lover! 

Thank you Rohaida, see you in Ayer Baloi during Syawal!

Camomile Macarons with Raspberry Froyo!

Phewww...I was just in the nick of time! This MacAttack is closing tomorrow!...and guess what the challenge was...Macaron Ice-cream...and I don't know and have not attempted making ice-cream before! Since frozen yoghurt is a hit in town now, I decided to make my own froyo, woohoo, my way, woohoo!

Camomile Macarons with Raspberry Frozen Yoghurt!

Loved the colour of the shells, and the subtle aroma of Camomile!

I used Jill Colonna's recipe to make the shells and infused them with Camomile tea leaves (I used Twining's). And, here's my recipe for the frozen yoghurt:

Raspberry Frozen Yoghurt

Ingredients

3 cups fresh or frozen raspberries, I used frozen raspberries

3 tbsp lemon juice

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup whipping cream 30% fat content

1 1/2 cups low fat natural yoghurt

Method

Simmer the raspberries, sugar and lemon juice on medium heat for about 15 minutes. Let cool.

Combine with the whipping cream and natural yoghurt. Allow to set in the freezer overnight before use.

I do not own an ice-cream maker, so, what I did this morning was just to allow the frozen yoghurt to thaw a bit and scoop and fill my macarons....it was raining outside, even then, I had problems with the humidity here in KL and frozen yoghurt was melting.

Anyway...the verdict of this combo...voila...can never be better, love it love it love it!

Tqs MacTweet for this challenge, for now I know how to make my own froyo, my way, that is, haha!

Marmer Cake and When In School...

Marmer Cake...Marble Cake....this is one of the cakes that I have known from very young! It is a must cake for Hari Raya at my grandma's...my mom doesn't bake, you see, so my aunt will make sure that this cake apart from Kueh Bahulu was served! Now, that I bake, am still searching for the best Marble Cake (...and Butter Cake, they are my favorites!) to bake!

I made this one on Tuesday night while waiting for my macaron nshells to dry. It was very easy, I didn't want to create more mess, so, I used my hands and my wooden laddle to whisk this cake! Easy peasy, in less than an hour, you have this Marble Cake!

Ingredients

300g butter, I used SCS

280g caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

5 eggs

300g flour, I would use cake flour the next time round

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

2 tbsp cocoa powder dissolved in 2 tbsp hot water, I used Valrhona...just got my supply from Rima

1 tsp black forest paste, I added (you can use choc emulco)

Method

Preheat the oven, prepare your cake tins. My oven was 170C, I used 3 7x3x3 loaf pans.

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda.

Dissolve cocoa powder in hot water, set aside.

Whisk butter, vanilla and sugar until smooth and light.

Add eggs one by one until well incorporated.

Fold in sifted flour, until well combined.

Take half of the batter and add cocoa paste and black forest paste.

Scoop the batter alternately into your baking tins, bake for about 35 minutes.

I got the recipe from Rima. ...the cake tasted better the next morning...it'd even better if you spread with blackcherry jam or starwberry jam....tak percaya, pi try! haha!

....and this!...I made about 200 macarons on Sunday, some for myself and most of them for Khadijah's Canteen Day. Aisyah had requested me to help her with the shells...she makes her own macarons, too! Their's were supposed to be a dessert table....and you can see here http://meksah.blogspot.com/2011/07/anxious.html what Aisyah had prepared for their Canteen Day.....admirable, talented, sweet and intelligent Aisyah! I'd take her to be my partner in my deli, haha...jom Aisyah!

Chocolate Macarons' shells, drying...I used Natahalie's recipe that has melted choc and cocoa powder, all Valrhona! 

....but, my Canteen Day those days was about sandwiches and ayaq sirap or karipap saja, haha!

...and here's some macarons I made about a month ago for my school mate whom I met after.....I can't count now...we last saw each other on the flight to UK in 1988, multi coloured and multi fillings macarons for Rostam, one of the cleverest boy in school who now works as a medical practitioner and lives in Edinburgh. Tq Rostam, your children and wife are lovely! Must come again for dinner when you return!

Lapis Cheesecake!

Well! This might not look like kek lapis at all....the layers are not visible, I have tweaked the recipe without doing any research of the outcome....but, I must tell you...this cake , this cake....mmmm...this cake....ahh, I can't describe how good it was.....like Rima said...indeed it was the best of both worlds!

I shall now try more cheesecake recipes and....layer cakes, of course! Yup, it took a while to prepare and bake this cake, but it was well devoured by my family...it was Umar's lunch and dinner on Saturday and Sunday! Haha! When hubs return from Ayer Baloi on Sunday, he could only utter...."ni ajer yang tinggal?"....only about 1/8 of the cake left!  

Ingredients

Layer Cake

(A)

300g egg yolks (I used 15 yolks)

150g caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract + 1 tsp vanillin powder

(B)

10g low protein flour-cake flour

10g milk powder

(C)

300 butter I used SCS salted

2 tbsp condensed milk

(D)

250g moxed fruits soaked in orange juice, I used dried cranberries coated with lemon juice and golden syrup...boleh?? haha...this is where the chaos started! but....don't care lah!

Cheesecake

(A)

500g cream cheese

150 icing sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp lemon paste + 1 tsp lemon juice...boleh? I did it anyway, haha!

(B)

300g eggs (I used 6 eggs)

(C)

100g natural yoghurt 

Method

Layer Cake

Whisk (A) till light and fluffy.

Add (B) and continue to whisk using low speed, set aside.

Whip butter and condensed milk till soft and pale.

Add (C) to (A) and (B) and mix till well combined.

Bake like you would usually bake kek lapis...hehe, I didn't weigh, so, with the cranberry bits...they were all not even at all...nevertheless nice haha! I used an 8x8 cake tin.

Cheesecake

Whisk (A) using medium speed till soft.

Add in (B) and continue to whisk.

Add (C) and continue to whisk till well combined.

Wrap your cake tin with aluminium foil, and pour this cream cheese batter on the layer cake.

Steam bake using 160C top fire and 170C bottom fire for 90 mins.

Once baked let it cool...I chilled for about 2 hours before serving...after that the cake was gloin in and out of the fridge, haha! 

Tq Rima for this recipe!

...Not pretty but darn delicious...who cares...I don't!

...here's my supposedly work of art...haha, getting me who can't even draw orang lidi to do this Angry Birds! Who are you kidding, Yani...anyway, yup done thsi last night after everyone went to bed....

They were cake toopers for a Devil's Food Chocolate Cake with Choc Ganache all using Valrhona Cocoa, for a 6 year old Aisyah's birthday...I couldn't arrange the toppers on the cake as the cake was supposed to be brought to school tomorrow. Mom Ilyana is my colleague in another division...tq Lyana!

Here's Muhammad practicing his motor skills, plucking cherries and counting...one...two...three.....

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Updated! Aisyah and her cake, deco by mom!

Learning Macarons The True French Way!

...the scar from that incidents are still there...I have only managed to accept the whole thing, they have sunk in, but I have now to deal with them...that incident left me with almost meal-less days from Tuesday till Friday last week...I met Yusof's teachers twice, on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons...

I almost didn't want to attend this class, that I had queued from March, only to get a call from Nathalie's PR on late Tuesday evening...there was a cancellation, and there was a space for me to attend this class...learning to make macarons, the true French way....

I took the Thursday morning off...driving in circles and merry-go-round to find Dutamas Solaris (am not familiar with that part of the world at all!) with my heavy and cluttered head...got there at 9.30, everyone was waiting for me to begin! I was given a cup of freshly brewed coffee with warm milk, before the teacher, a petit sweet lady started teaching us in her French accent...oh so sexy....with my BB's battery went dead...I immersed into learning the techniques of making macarons that I have only so far learnt from the virtual world.....

Raspberry, Salted Caramel and Chocolate Macarons! I have never tasted macarons so good like hers here in KL!

The maroon colour is very distinct to Nathalie's! The texture and consistency of the batter...so sexy....we also learnt to make Raspberry Ganache...awesome! 

Seems like purple are her colours...I like them all!

It's amazing how the batter that she made resulted in all the shells not to stick at all on the baking paper...the Chocolate Macarons were made with Valrhona Cocoa Powder and Buttons...they are so, so good! Of course I couldn't put my hands away from the Raspberry and Salted Caramel Macarons, too!

...and here's my version of her Chocolate Macarons (unfilled shells I made this afternoon), I used Valrhona cocoa powder and buttons, too...but the brown colour powder was way understated compared to hers that came all the way from Paris!

I also made some in pink....Valrhona Choc in Valrhona Choc Ganache, Salted Caramel and Lemon Curd infused Italian Meringue Buttercream...thank you Zasya!

The class ended at about 1.15, it did take my mind off from my worries..but, when I turned on my phone, I discovered another bummer by Yusof......but, think I got back slightly my baking mojo, life has to go on....

Wordless Wednesday....

...yup truely wordless, "soul-less", butterless, eggless....nothing rips me apart than blunders and wrongdoings of my children.....taking a stride at a time I plod...and plod and plod and ponder.....please bear with this lonely space for a while.....

The Beginning Of A Long Journey??!

I got up early on Saturday, like any other Saturdays to finish a cake and pack my macarons...no, I didn't go to Pasar Tani, it was too rushed, if I did. We had an appointment to see the Principal of Kolej Yayasan UEM (KYUEM) in Lembah Beringin at 10. Nut and Kak Nabilah and her girls were also supposed to be there.

Nut who used to be in the same uni with hubs, used to serve in the BOD of the mother company of all GLCs in Malaysia, and the care of KYUEM was under her wings, set the appointment for her niece, and we rode on that opportunity to explore the college! Since Khadijah is sitting for her SPM (British equivalent of O Levels), hubs have been exploring places for Khadijah to study next.

The journey took about 35 minutes....we were welcomed by the Principal Donald and a few other student affairs staffs...the college looks like a boarding school, but bigger and have more facilities. It's like a mini uni!

A scrumptious breakfast spread waited us upon arrival...but Donald after the warm welcome, and while chatting started interviewing Khadijah and Najat....reminded me of my interview with JPA before I was offered to do A Levels many, many years ago....the answers to the questions were all very innocent.....far, far from the reality that we live now!.....anyway...

I was impressed by the system of public school in UK that they use in the college, and I think the college is set to grrom students to enter into British top universities. On the bulletin board in the library, there were quite a number achievers, world achievers from the college who are now studying in Oxford, Cambridge, Warwick, Bristol universities....and they are prime unis in UK! Of course where I came fro  Aberystwyth is also know for it's Law School...except that I learnt more than that...I spotted Nigella Lawson, and wanted to become one and had jumped into baking and cooking alongside LOL!

Suddenly I felt the jolt to work harder (and maybe bake more macarons haha!) in order to get Khadijah to study there...the fees for a 24 month A Levels course is a whopping RM40k! During my time, I knew my dad couldn't afford to send me overseas, so I worked my butt off (albeit, playing the fool sometime!) to get a scholarship! Well! I inquired, and yes, there are sponsors, but Khadijah really got to pull her grades....think the fees are ok, considering that we are paying through our nose for Yusof''s, Umar's and Ibraheem's school now...but I felt like wanting to go back to uni all over again...with Khadijah! Ha ha....let's wait and see her trial exam's results....she could join in  January based her trial exam's result...which I think is so cool! You fast forward things, so cool, so good!

So, here are some pics that I took of the college... 

it's going to be a long intertwined journey....

Walking back from the Sport's centre (left), the ladies' challet (top right, airconditioned! wow!) and the main courtyard where the resource centre (library) was....

On the way back and going to this kenduri, I kept on thinking about the possibilities...and how my life doesn't dwell about diapers or formulas anymore...am going into another uncharted territory, Khadijah's amd Yusof's adulthood...good luck mummy!

We were late for the wedding, but our presence are more important that the lateness....we had a bite and the team was already unpacking and cleaning the hall for another function...look at Min, a super sanguine becoming Miad in Manhattan, and Khadijah tagging along while she's still around with us!

....and here's the bakes and cakes collected last weekend....

A Pink Velvet Cake ordered by Nita, tq Nita for the wait!

about 120 macarons for Nut's mom...Salted Caramel, Pecan and Maple Buttercream and Mixed Berry (new and homemade by moi) Buttercream, tqs. Nut!

some were baked on Mastrad, some on Silpat...all using French Meringue method.

...here's some macarons ordered by Anom, Salted Caramel, Coconut and Hazelnut with Dark Chcoc Ganache, tqs Anom!

....a three layer Hummingbird cake for someone who works in Seoul, Korea who's back for the weekend, tqs Zakiral, see you after Syawal!

Have a productive and healthy and happy weeka head, peeps! tq for reading!

Mastrad...my New Love!

If you had read my post yesterday, I was eagerly waiting for my Mastrad sheets! Yup,I got them yesterday, and due to the nick of time that I have been imposed, I didn't think that I would give the sheets a try last night...but not!

I cleaned them....yeah there's a special instruction to clean them before first time using....and did my first batch of macarons using Mastrad silicon sheets...woo hoo! They were awesome!....let's see this....

Pecan macarons (using home made roasted and ground pecans) shells I baked this morning using Mastrad! It was super fast, started making the meringue at 5, and finished baking at 6.30.....and all my dishes cleaned and kids up getting ready to go to school!

The piped batter...ahhhh, finally Igot my macarons all in the same size!

...tadaaaaa...the baked shells, absolute beauty, to my eyes lah...and look at the bottom, so smooth! Pecan is my hubs favourite....all will be filled with Maple Italian Meringue buttercream, yums!

For this I can't thank Rima enough for bringing in the sheets....it is so much faster to make beautiful macarons! All were made using the French meringue method, which makes life much simpler and easier!

...and last night I had a special guest who came to collect her Mastrad sheets.Tina is my macarons punching bag...we will text each other in the wee hours in the morning whilst making macarons, me here and she in Ampang! Tina still had a couple of weeks before she completed her race in the Milkadeal deal, haha..been there done that.....it was all worth the experience! and you know what, I only met Tina through her blog, similar like Wiz and Rima! To me Rima is the epitome of kek lapis and all complicated cakes, Wiz the epitome of sugarpaste art and Tina is the epitome of macarons and delicious bakes!...Moi...the epitome of don't worry be happy and create what I call authentic macarons...really they are usually not uniform in colour and size...I told you, am nota mathematician...am a lawyer, I deal with facts, precision is not my tool, haha!

...anyway, the demure Tina brought along my belated birthday gifts, both nicely presented(that's why I only opened them this morning!)...you! Two of them! I was in awe when I open the box this morning to find this rustic looking ramekins and what made went ahhhh when I open the other parcel...

It's a Martha Stewart latest book on pies and tarts....oh pucuk dicita ulam mendatang....tqtqtq Tina....you should see what I got her...a kitchen termometer and a book by Jill Colonna, Mad About Macarons....both were not wrapped..haha so me, so impromptu...I am a sanguine you see! 

Oh...what a beautiful day macarons can make to you, yes thank God all macarons making this week thus far had been very smooth, ....2 more batches to do tonight and the fillings and they will all be rady for tomorrow!

Check out Rima's blog and store if you are ineterested to purchase the Mastrad sheets...they Rima and sheets are God sent! Have a beautiful albeit very hazy, day peeps!xox 

p/s tq beautiful peeps for your comments, I will reply them soon!

Wednesday's Ramblings!

....boy, if you knew what is going on in this head....ahhh...you wouldn't want to know! Just one thing..,.time is a real essence for me this week...so many things to do, and am scrambling for time!....anyway, am super excited today, despite a half day documentation meeting this morning.....you'll see why, hehe....

MAD (short for Milkadeal) wanted to order a cake for their beloved boss, a co-owner of MAD for his birthday...he doesn't take Chcocolate Cake, but we (the MAD staff and me) know that Shaun loves Red Velvet cake after he bought  mine during the "deal"...and it was ashort notice for me to prepare a fondant cake...so, we settled for this cake! I decided to give him this cake...how can I take any money from someone who's mad enough to get me mad into baking almost nightly after the MAD deal...haha....so here goes a Red Velvet cake for Shaun! Tqs Putri, don't know how much I owe you and Shaun! and...coincidently the story about his birthday apperaed in MAD blog today at here: http://blog.milkadeal.com/45/%e2%80%9capril%e2%80%9d-fools. Shaun is a very young, energetic, calm proprietor....I have promised to do his wedding cake when the time took place!woo hoo!

Last night Noni, a customer now turned friends collected her long awaited Macarons(Hazelnut with Choc Ganache, Coconut and Pistachio) and Congo Bars. I told her the macarons freeze well...so I won't hear from her until year end, haha...just joking Noni!...and Noni had the pleasure of seeing me in action, running with Hajar and Muhammad, whilst doing macaronnage and piping macarons last night, haha...like a circus, right!Wink!tqs Noni for this order and for being so patient waiting!

Jasimah collected this Red Velvet Cake yesterday...it was supposed to be collected with some macarons that she purchased, but I was time challenged and could only deliver this cake yesterday! Tq Jasimah! 

aha....guess what appeared on my desk this morning?....my Mastrad macarons sheets (4 sheets altogether, 2 mine and 2 belongs to Tina...my macarons punching bag, apart from Rima)...woohooo...but I don't think I'll be using them for my baking tonight as yet, you know how moody macarons can be, I can't afford to fumble in this week's race to make macarons which should all be ready by Friday evening...phewww...and those macarons are some shells that were made last night! Tq so much Rima...but I so gatai want to try lah the sheets...hmmm perhaps I should wake up early tomorrow morning for this vice, hehe.....

Till the next post, go make macarons, hehe!xox

Sambal Tumis Bilis with Belimbing Buloh

....life is like sambal belacan or sambal bilis for me-lah...I love Sambal Bilis! and life is full of sweet stuff and the crying episodes, right! Just like your sambal belacan or sambal bilis....They are so nice to eat, sweet and yet you have to go through the spicy taste as well!

Last Friday Kak Ana my tea lady brought some Belimbing Buloh from her house. I, of course had to take some. I wanted to make this and have with Nasi Lemak for breakfast yesterday, but discovered that I have run out of stock of Basmathi rice....so, today I made this Sambal Bilis With Belimbing Buloh alongside with Gulai Tenggiri ("Mackerel Curry") for ...what was supposed to be lunch, which I had at 5.30!Lunch and dinner both combined!...so here goes!

Ingredients

about 12 dried chillies, snipped in the middle to get rid of the seeds, boiled

1 medium onion, half to blend, half to slice

5 cloves garlic

1 tsp belacan (prawn paste)

125 ml cooking oil

about 300g ikan bilis (dried anchovies)

8 Belimbing Buloh

2 tbsp tamarind juice

salt to taste

Method

Boil dried chillies until tender about 5 minutes, drain the water and blend with onion, garlic and belacan.

Heat oil, fry the dried anchovies till crispy, drain oil and set aside.

I used the oil to sautee the chilli paste, until fragrant and oily (pecah minyak, hehe!), add a pinch of sugar (I use brown sugar at home) and add the tamarind juice.

Add the fried anchovies and belimbing buloh...if it gets a bit dry, add a few tbsp of water.

Add a pinch of salt.

I had mine with steaming hot rice and the Gulai Tenggiri, yummeh!...and then, I had coffee with this lovely bakes from Shidah Sizuka (http://diarimama.blogspot.com/)! Apple Dumpling and Banana Cake...a different kind of Banana Cake....

...and then I got hold of Muhammad and Hajar...and we went upstairs and took a nap, before Hubs returned later....bliss!

In the morning I covered this Double Chocolate Cake, using Rima's recipe for a special girl..Adriana was born as a super special child...and she loved Timmy Time!

hmmm...this pretty cute duckling reminds me of Adriana...tqs mommy Suhaila and daddy Amli!

Hubs was away tending to some documentation signing at Nut's who ordered this macarons...Double Choc, Mocca, Pistachio using home grind roasted pistachios and Raspberry..all filled in Italian Meringue Buttercream...I like and Choc Ganache! I used the French Meringue method...missed them after doing Italian Meringue macarons lately!

So...that's it a round up of my weekend.....missed my Pasar Tani but had a lovely time with Zira yesterday...no pics as my phone zonged out! Have a fruitful week ahead, peeps! Good nite!

and here's a song that I wanted to put last week that played during my works at the wedding...awwww....