Frozen Chocolate Mousse

Frozen Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 60g good-quality dark cooking chocolate, broken into pieces
• 60g unsalted butter, chopped
• 2 teaspoons orange liqueur
• 2 eggs, separated
• pinch of salt
• 1 tablespoon caster sugar
• cocoa powder, to serve

Method

1. Lightly grease two 3/4-cup capacity ramekins or moulds. Line base and sides with a piece of plastic wrap. Allow plenty of overhang.
2. Place chocolate and butter in a heatproof, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave, uncovered, on MEDIUM (50%) for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring every minute with a metal spoon, or until melted and smooth. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.
3. Add liqueur and egg yolks to chocolate mixture. Stir until well combined.
4. Using an electric mixer, beat eggwhites and salt in a small bowl until soft peaks form. Add sugar and beat well. Stir a third of eggwhite into chocolate mixture. Gently fold remaining eggwhite into chocolate mixture. Spoon into prepared ramekins. Fold over excess plastic wrap to cover. Freeze for at least 3 hours or overnight, if time permits, until firm.
5. Using the plastic wrap, gently ease mousse from ramekins. Turn out onto chilled serving plates. Dust with cocoa and serve.

Recipe from http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/435/frozen+chocolate+mousse

Ham Cheese souffle

Serving size: Serves 4
Cuisine type: French
Cooking time: Less than 60 minutes
Course: Cakes/baking

INGREDIENTS

20g butter, melted or oil spray
40g butter
40g plain flour
400ml milk, warm
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
3 eggs, separated
4 slices of ham, diced

METHOD

Preheat oven to 220°C or 200°C fan-forced. Brush the insides of four 1-cup capacity ramekin dishes with melted butter ensuring that you brush vertically up the sides. This helps to ensure an even rise. Or lightly spray with canola oil spray

Make roux by melting butter in a medium saucepan. Add flour and cook, stirring one minute or until flour is lightly browned and bubbling. Gradually add milk, stirring continuously until you have a smooth white sauce; bring to a boil and remove from heat. Add cheeses and stir until melted. Season with salt,pepper and ham. Cool 5 minutes before stirring in egg yolks.

In a large clean mixing bowl whisk egg whites until soft peaks form. Add 1/3 of the egg whites to the cheese mixture before folding in the remaining egg whites. Divide mixture among prepared ramekin dishes. Run your finger tip around the inside edge of the ramekins to aid an even rise.

Place in preheated oven and cook 25 minutes, or until risen and golden brown. Serve immediately.

Penne Rigati Carbonara

My first attempt on making carbonara was ages ago and it was a huge failure but that doesn't stop me from pursuing this delicacy. Also, my honey is fond of carbonara dish so I think I might as well give it another go and it turned out great (according to my Jo-ja). So here you go, the recipe of Penne Rigati Carbonara



Serving: 4

Ingredients:
Bacon rashes (amount, it's up to you on how much you can consume this fatty part of porky)
400g Penne Rigati
3 eggs yolks, beaten
1 cup (250ml) cream
40g finely grated parmesan cheese
a pinch of salt
Fresh chives (for sprinkle, optional).

1. cook bacon in small heated frying pan, stirring, until crisp; drain.
2. Just before serving, cook pasta in large saucepan of boiling water, uncovered, until just tender; drain.
3. Combine pasta in warmed bowl with yolks (in this case I used bain marie technique), cream, salt and cheese; sprinklke with chives and freshly ground black pepper if desired.

Jo- Ploy's Pizza + Swirled choc-almond Biscotti

Well since I'm on 2 weeks break, I might as well be motivated in both cooking and baking right. I've been baking heaps since I moved to Sydney and I enjoy every bit of it. I don't think I will put in all the recipes cuz it will take me days to complete the whole list. Today, Jo and I decided that we're going to make our very own pizza from scratch as we both are too stingy to buy from domino or pizza hut..hahaha.. nah.. Just want to try and according from the recipe book, it doesn't sound like a big drama plus we both love baking/cooking and of course eating so might as well give it a try.

First recipe is Jo-Ploy's pizza (the reason we called this pizza by our names cuz for the topping, we just simply added stuffs that we like, didn't really follow the recipe book on that). However, for pizza dough and tomato pizza sauce, I give all the credit to The Australian Woman's Weekly: Great Italian food.

Pizza : 4-6 servings

Ingredients: Basic pizza dough

7 g instant yeast (2 teaspoons)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 (1/2) cups or 375g plain flour
1 cup (250ml) warm water
1 tablespoon olive oil

Ingredients: tomato pizza sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small white onion (80g), chopped finely
2 cloves garlic, crushed
425g canned tomatoes
1.4cup (70g) tomato paste
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon fresh oregano (I used mixed herbs for this occasion)

1 Halve basic pizza dough; roll out each half on lightly floured surface to form 30 cm round (or whatever shapes you want). Place on baking tray or oiled pizza rays. Spread each with half of the basic tomato pizza sauce; top with cheese.
2. Bake, uncovered in moderately hot oven about 15 minutes (or 200 degree celsius for 10 minutes) or until crust is golden and cheese is bubbling. Sprinkle each with basil before serving (optional).
Basic pizza dough: combine yeast, salt and sifted flour in large bowl; mix well. Gradually stir in the warm water and oil (mix water and oil together). Knead on well floured surface about 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic (windown checking). Place dough in large oiled bowl (or lightly dust the bowl with flour); stand in warm place the dough to ferment, about 30 minutes or until douh doubles in size. Knead dough on lightly floured surface until smooth. Roll out dough as required or to fit pizza tray.
Basic tomato pizza sauce: Heat oil in medium frying pan; cook onion, stirring occasionally, over low heat until soft and transparent. Stir in garlic, undrained, crushed tomatoes, paste, sugar and oregano (i used mixed herbs). Simmer, uncovered, about 15 minutes or until mixture thickens (can be made 2 days in advance and refrigerated, covered, or frozen for up to 6 months)

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Swirled choc-almond biscotti

Ingredients:
Butter 60g
Caster sugar 1 cup
Vanilla essence 1 teaspoon
Eggs 3
Plain flour 2 (1/4) cups
Baking powder 1 teaspoon
Baking soda 1/2 teaspoon
1 (1/2) cup of coarsely chopped almonds
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup plain flour

Beat butter, caster sugar, vanilla essence in medium bowl until just combined(or can do manually by soften butter first then mix with sugar and vanilla essence). Add 3 eggs, one at a time, beating until combined. Mix dry ingredients together, plain flour, baking powder and baking soda. Stir in butter mixture then add coarsely chopped almonds. Cover, refrigerate 1 hour.
Halve dough. Knead cocoa powder into one half; shape into a 30 cm log. Knead the other half with plain flour. Place on greased oven tray. Bake in moderate oven 200 degree celsius for 10 minutes or until firm, cool on tray. Ising serrated knife cut log, diagonally, into 1 cm slices. Place slices on ungreased oven trays. Bake in moderately slow oven for 6 minutes ot until dry and crisp, turing halfway; cool on wire racks.