Saturday 27 December 2014

No Bake Lime&Ederflower Cheese Cake


  Again with cheese cake, my hubby's favorite, and I love to make them over and over agin, I prefer no bake cheese cake rather than the bake one, for me it's more tasty and moist, easy to make and almost zero chance of mistakes.
  My husband brought a mini cheese cake mould (12 moulds in tray) for me ages ago and I haven't had a chance to use it. I do love to make everything in a miniature version, enough for one portion. 
                                    
  After last time I made elderflower jelly, I'm really in love with it so I decided to have elderflower jelly on top of my cheese cake with edible flowers and berries. Such a cute little thing ^_^
Ingredients 

Crust
arrowroot milk biscuits 
melted butter

Cheese cake
225g. solften cream cheese
150mls. cream
lime juice and zest from1 lime
1 gelatin leave
200g. condensed milk

Elderflower Jelly
4 leaves of gelatin 
1 cup water
2 tbs sugar
3 elderflower cordial 

edible flowers, berries 

Directions 
To make the crust. Using a food processor, process biscuits until fine crumbs then gradually add melted butter and mix to combine. The crust will look like wet sand. Press the biscuit mixture over base and side of prepared pan. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.
    Soak gelatin leaves in cold water for 5 minutes or until the gelatin leave is soft. Put 50 mls. of cream in to a bowl and warm in the microwave for 1 minute, take gelatin leave from water, squeez to get rid off the excess water and put in to the warm cream, stir until the gelatin dissolves. Set aside
    Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until light and fluffy, add condensed milk then add lime zest and lime juice, stir to combine. Set aside.
    In another bowl whip cream until stiff peaks then gradually beat in gelatine mixture until combined.
 Fold in cream cheese mixture then pour mixture into prepared pan. Return to refrigerater.
    To make elderflower jelly. Soak gelatin leaves in cold water for 5 minutes or until the leaves are soft, meanwhile make elderflower syrup by putting water into a saucepan, bring to the boil then add sugar, stir until sugar is dissolved and then add elder flower cordial, stir to combine. Remove from the heat.   

    Squeez gelatin leaves to remove excess water then add gelatin leaves into elderflower syrup, stir until gelatin leaves completely dissolve. Allow to cool to room temperature.
                                      
    Place berries and edible flower on top of cheese cake, pour elderflower jelly on top of chilled cheese cake. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours or until completely set.
  To remove cheese cake from mould, I run the knife tip round the edge of the mould then gently remove cheese cake from the mould.
Such a sweet little thing......love love love them.
Enjoy...

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Friday 26 December 2014

Elderflower Jellies


This time of the year in Australia is my favorite time because we have lots and lots of fruits around with reasonable price. In summer, jelly is a good idea. Light and refreshing, easy and doesn't take long to throw some berries or edible flowers such pansy, rose or lavender for more tempting.

*pictures from 2 occasions.

4 leaves of gelatin 
1 cup water or sparking water or sparking wine
2 tbs sugar
3 elderflower cordial 
edible flowers, berries 
Directions 

Soak gelatin leaves in cold water for 5 minutes or until the leaves are soft, meanwhile make elderflower  syrup by putting water into a saucepan, bring to the boil then add sugar, stir until sugar is dissolved and then add elder flower cordial, stir to combine. Remove from the heat. 
Squeez gelatin leaves to remove excess water add in to elderflower syrup, stir until gelatin leaves completely dissolve. Allow to cool to room temperature then pour into a mould, add berries or edible flower. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours or until completely set. I just leave them overnight.
To remove jelly from the mould, place the mould into the warm water for few seconds then turn the jelly mould onto a plate.
Enjoy
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Wednesday 17 December 2014

Red Hot Cookie Brownies


Baking is my relaxation therapy, time always flying in the kitchen. I haven't been baking for a while, and today after work I had a little bit of time to do something quick and easy, I've chosen cookie brownies. I have made them before but this time with Christmas just around the corner, I want to make them with a little bit of a difference, I added some red color for Christmas and some chilli...yep you're not wrong "Chilli" in cookies but trust me, you'll not even notice, it won't blow your head off but just kick of the heat will make my cookie brownies more interesting.

Ingredients
1/4 cup plain flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
30 g. butter
1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
200 g. dark chocolate (semi sweet or bitter sweet)
2 tbs vanilla paste 
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
gel paste food coloring (Christmas red)
You also need
2 cup nuts(I'm using hazelnuts,almonds,pecans) roasted and roughly chopped
170 g. dark chocolate, roughly chopped
Directions
Preheat oven to 175 C.

Yield : about 25-30

Directions

Melt butter and 200 grams of dark chocolate together in microwave,  I usually put for 1 min in microwave for the first time then take out and stir well, if still lumpy in the chocolate put back in microwave for no more than 10 sec. Set aside.

In a bowl, combine eggs, sugar and salt together with the whisk until completely combined, then add melted chocolate, gel paste food coloring and mix, once mixed add the plain flour and cayenne pepper.
Add nuts and 170 grams of the chopped chocolate and mix well.

Spoon the mixture on to the tray and bake for 10 mins.
   Allow to cool for 10 minutes then transfer to cooling rack for a further 20 minutes or until completely cool then place in a air tight container until ready to eat.
Happy Christmas everyone 

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Saturday 13 September 2014

Lavender&Lemon Macarons

Lavender&Lemon Macarons
 I really love lavender, tranquility and sophisticated aromatic, beautiful purple buds….that stunned me.
I always harvest lavender from my backyard and let them dry in the store room which is cool and dark place before using them. In summer time I used to make lavender lemonade drink to refresh and soothe for a hot day. After I found out that lavender and lemon are good friend, today I match them together again. I made lavender sugar by placing dried lavender in the caster sugar jar and leaving them for a few days to impart the lavender flavor into the macaron shells. I filled macarons with lemon curd (to get rid off some egg yolks).

To prepare egg whites or "liquefied" egg white by placing them in a glass container, cover with plastic wrap, cut a small slit on top and sit them in the fridge for several days to loose their elasticity, allowing them to whisk to a higher volume.

Ingredients
Lavender macaron shells
75 g. "liquefied" egg white in room temperature
50 g. lavender sugar (caster sugar)
135 g.  confectioners sugar
90 g. almond meal
 gel food coloring

Lemon curd
3/4 cup lemon juice
1 tbs lemon zest
1 cup sugar
3 egg yolks lightly beaten
5 tbs butter


Directions
To make lemon curd, place sugar, butter, lemon zest and lemon juice into a sauce pan on medium heat , stirring constantly until sugar dissolves, remove from heat and whisk the egg yolks in, return to low heat and stirring until mixture thickens and coats the back of the spoon, remove from heat, set aside.

To make lavender macaron shells
Preheat the oven to 150C degree.
For more smooth surface of macaron shells, grind almond meal and confectioners sugar together then sift, set aside.

Whisk egg whites, caster sugar and gel food color with standard mixer-whisk until you reach stiff peaks, then gradually add almond meal and confectioners sugar mix, vigorously fold in together until combine and then you need to adjust the appropriate consistency by using baker scraper or flat spatula, press down from the centre to the side of the bowl and scrape the batter from the side of the bowl to the centre then press down again, repeat a few times until you have the right consistency. I just pipe the batter into the baking sheet. It should go flat in about a minute. I used to count when I fold the batter to not more than 50 times or it will over mix.
The consistency of macaron batter should not too runny or too thick, some said"flows like lava"
Line baking tray with baking paper, Pipe macaron batter onto the tray. Firm tap the tray 2-3 times against the workbench after piping to remove any air bubbles. I use a toothpick to coax the larger bubbles to pop. I place some lavender buds on top to remind the people for the ingredients and for decorations.
Let them dry for 30 mins-1 hour, gently tap the centre with your finger, the batter will not stick to your finger, if still not dry, leave it dry for longer.
 Bake for 8 mins then leave the oven door ajar then continue bake for another 5-7 mins.
Once the macaron shells cool, pipe lemon curd on one side of macaron shells, sandwich them together, leave them in the fridge for 1 day before serve.
The most romantic macarons ever for me so far.
Enjoy

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Saturday 6 September 2014

Peanut Butter&Chocolate Macarons

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Macarons

I always wanted to make macaron, delicate and adorable sweet. Today it's no, rain no humidity which is macarons enemy, blue and clear sky...it's macaron's day.
For macaron shells I use recipe from one of my Thai favorite blogger Na Pang Pond(น้าปังปอนด์) which this recipe never failed me.
I love white macarons but in the other way they're brown very easily, normally I bake for 8 minutes then reduce the heat down and then bake for more longer to prevent macaron shells going brown. 
To prepare egg whites or "liquefied" egg white by placing them in a glass container, cover with plastic wrap, cut a small slit on top and sit them in the fridge for several days to loose their elasticity, allowing them to whisk to a higher volume.

Macaron Shells
Ingrediens
75 g. "liquefied" egg white in room temperature
50 g. caster sugar
135 g.  confectioners sugar
90 g. almond meal
 white gel food coloring

Chocolate Ganache Filling
50 g. cream
50 g. dark chocolate

Peanut butter (smooth)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 150C degree.
For more smooth surface of macaron shells, grind almond meal and confectioners sugar together then sift, set aside.

Whisk egg whites, caster sugar and gel food color with standard mixer-whisk until you reach stiff peaks, then gradually add almond meal and confectioners sugar mix, vigorously fold in together until combine and then you need to adjust the appropriate consistency by using baker scraper or flat spatula, press down from the centre to the side of the bowl and scrape the batter from the side of the bowl to the centre then press down again, repeat for few times until you have the right consistency, some said "flows like lava" a bit tricky but honestly, I never seen lava or magma before so I just pipe the batter into the baking sheet. It should go flat in about a minute. I used to count when I fold the batter to not more than 50 times or it will over mix.
Line baking tray with baking paper, Pipe macaron batter onto the tray. Firm tap the tray 2-3 times against the workbench after piping to remove any air bubbles. I use a toothpick to coax the larger bubbles to pop. Dust with cocoa powder.
Let them dry for 30 mins-1 hour, gently tap the centre with your finger, the batter will not stick to your finger, if still not dry, leave it dry for longer.
 Bake for 8 mins then leave the oven door ajar then reduce the heat to 130C degrees,  continue bake for more 15-20 mins. 
To make chocolate ganache, place cream and chopped dark chocolate in a bowl, microwave for 1 minute and mix them together, if still lumpy put in microwave again for 10 sec.
Once the macaron shells cool, pipe peanut butter and chocolate ganache on one side of macaron shells, sandwich them together, leave them in the fridge for 1 day before serve.

Enjoy…

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Saturday 19 July 2014

Peanut Butter Brownies

In the middle of winter, when it's cold, dark and boring. If I'm not warm by wrapping myself with blanket while watching six packs of Jensen Ackles in "Supernatural", I'll be in the kitchen and baking something to keep me warm.

Brownies is the first choice of mine, quick and easy. My husband loves peanut butter and walnut brownies, I think it's a good match, with a little bit of salty peanut butter, bitter sweet of dark chocolate brownie.....for me...it's perfect!!!!

Ingredients
200 g. dark chocolate 
200 g. unsalted butter
1 cup plain flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla paste
4-5 tbs peanut butter
1/4 cup chopped walnut (smooth or crunchy)

Directions
Melt butter and chocolate together in microwave for 45 sec for the first time then stir to combine if still lumpy, put in microwave again for 10 sec each time, set aside.
In the mix bowl, whisk sugar and eggs together until light and fluffy, add chocolate and butter mixture, stir to combine and then add flour and chopped walnut, mix well.
Pour the mixture in to the baking tray, drop spoon fulls of peanut butter in then use the tip of the knife to drag all over the brownie to swirl peanut butter and chocolate brownie.
Bake for 30 mins maybe shorter or longer depend on the thickness of the brownie. Allow to cool before cut.
Chewy, moist, crunchy, salty, bitter sweet brownies, what else you want....
Enjoy
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Sunday 13 July 2014

Orange-Cointreau Cheese Cake (No Bake)

Cheese Cake is one of my hubby's favorite dessert of all time, He prefer no bake cheese cake with the fresh fruit on top like his beloved mum made for hime when he was young.
My cheese cake today, I added Cointreau into the jelly, I adore the sensation of Cointreau, such a fresh tangy and sweet, at home I usually have fruit on the dinner table, every time I want to make some sweet I have to look in the fruit basket before decided what I'm gonna make. Like today, I have some orange and some golden kiwi at home, lemon from the back yard, in my kitchen cabinet also have orange cordial, voila!!! it's perfect to make orange jelly cheese cake.
Ingredients
For the crust
Crackers
Butter

Cheese cake
225g. solften cream cheese
250g. cream
Lemon juice from1 lemon
orange zest from1 orange
1 1/2 tbs gelatin
200g. condensed milk

Orange-Cointreau Jelly
1 cup orange cordial (or orange juice)
2 tbs gelatin
2 tbs Cointreau 

Directions
Grease a springform pan. Using a food processor, process biscuits until fine crumbs then gradually add melted butter and mix to combine. The crust will look like wet sand. Press the biscuit mixture over base and side of prepared pan. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.

To make cheese cake, sprinkle gelatine powder over 5 tbs of water, set the gelatin aside for a few minutes until it swells or “blooms” as it absorbs the liquid, melt the gelatin in a microwave (for about 10 seconds on high) until it becomes translucent, stir until totally dissolved. Set aside to cool.
 Meanwhile using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until light and fluffy, ass condensed milk  then add orange zest and lemon juice, gradually beat in gelatine mixture until combined. Set aside.
In another bowl whip cream until stiff peaks then slowly add gelatin, wisk to combine.
 Fold in cream cheese mixture then pour mixture into prepared pan. 
Refrigerate at least 3 hours or until it set.

To make jelly topping
In a sauce pan. Sprinkle gelatin powder in to orange cordial, wait until gelatin is blooms, then put on the stove on a low heat, stir well until gelatin dissolves, remove from the heat, add Cointreau and set aside to cool.
Pour orange-jelly on the cool cheese cake, return to refrigerater for an hour, put mandarin, orange, kiwi or any fruit you like, brush with the remaining jelly, if the jelly has gone lumpy, reheat on low heat before use.
Return to refrigerate.
I adore this one so much, I sliced kiwi fruit and placed on top into a flower shape, brush with jelly then return to refrigerate for another hour or until it set. I gave this special one for my hubby's dad.
Enjoy...
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Sunday 6 July 2014

Orange & Walnut Brownies

I do love brownie, I love crunchy moist and gooey brownie, have it with cold milk or with a cuppa.
Today I have oranges at home and I think I want to add some freshness in to my brownies and add the crunchyness with walnut. 
Ingredients
1 cup plain flour
200 g. dark chocolate
200 g. butter
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla paste
orange zest from 2 oranges
1/4 cup chopped walnut
2 tbs Cointreau 
Preheat oven to 175C.

Melt butter and chocolate together in microwave for 45 sec for the first time then stir to combine if still lumpy, put in microwave again for 10 sec each time, add orange zest and Cointreau, set aside.
In the mix bowl, whisk sugar and eggs together until light and fluffy, add chocolate and butter mixture, stir to combine and then add flour and chopped walnut, mix well.
Bake for 30 mins maybe shorter or longer depend on the thickness of the brownie.
Allow brownies to cool before cutting.
Ummmmmmm Heavenly
Enjoy xxx
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