Café of the East
July 18, 2007
Viennese Whirls
Viennese Whirls
These melt-in-the-mouth butter biscuits are always very popular during the festive seasons back home in Malaysia.
This is also the first time I have actually followed this classic recipe faithfully without doing much tinkering, which is 170g (6oz) flour, 170g (6oz) butter and 55g (2oz) sugar. Use icing sugar for a very fine-textured biscuits, but if you prefer a crunchier texture, use caster sugar. The fine texture of the biscuits is really melt-in-the-mouth, the commercially produced ones are pale in comparison to these home-made ones!
Make sure the butter is very, very soft for the creaming process. I always put the butter in the microwave on the low setting to soften, especially in winter months when the butter will not soften in room temperature, don’t worry if a little of the butter melts in the microwave, it will still cream beautifully. Once the mixture is ready for piping, it is best to pipe them all out quickly in one go before the mixture becomes too hard to pipe, especially in cold weather.
If you don’t like the glacé cherries, omit them, or alternatively bake the biscuits without the cherries and when they are cooled after baking, half-dip them in melted chocolate, or pipe melted chocolate onto them, then let the chocolate set before storing.
Viennese Whirls
Makes approx. 25-30 medium-large biscuits, more if you make them mini sizes.
[Ingredients]
170g butter, softened
55g icing sugar, sifted
1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract
120g plain flour, sifted
50g cornflour, sifted
red glacé cherries, quartered
http://cafeoftheeast.blogspot.com/
[Preparation]
1. Preheat oven to 160°C.
2. Cream softened butter and icing sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in vanilla.
3. Fold in both flours.
4. Fill a piping bag fitted with a 2cm star nozzle with the mixture (use 1cm star nozzle to make mini sized biscuits). Pipe out round whirls (or rosettes or stars) onto a baking sheet. Place a quartered cherry in the centre of each whirl as decoration.
Viennese Whirls
5. Chill the whirls/rosettes/stars in the refrigerator, uncovered, for about 20-30 minutes before baking.
6. Remove from the refrigerator and bake immediately for about 20 minutes, or until light golden brown in colour (reduce baking time if you are making mini sized biscuits). If necessary, turn tray around halfway through baking to ensure even baking. After cooling, store in airtight containers.
Viennese Whirls
I baked the first tray of biscuits at 170°C for 18 minutes, and the colour of the biscuits turned too brown.
Viennese Whirls
Then I tried baking the remaining biscuits on the second tray at 160°C for 20 minutes and the colour is better, a light golden brown.
[Note]
1. Please note this recipe uses 1 standard cup of 250ml, 1 tablespoon of 20ml and 1 teaspoon of 5ml.
2. The size of egg used is about 60g (includes shell) unless otherwise stated.
This is also the first time I have actually followed this classic recipe faithfully without doing much tinkering, which is 170g (6oz) flour, 170g (6oz) butter and 55g (2oz) sugar. Use icing sugar for a very fine-textured biscuits, but if you prefer a crunchier texture, use caster sugar. The fine texture of the biscuits is really melt-in-the-mouth, the commercially produced ones are pale in comparison to these home-made ones!
Make sure the butter is very, very soft for the creaming process. I always put the butter in the microwave on the low setting to soften, especially in winter months when the butter will not soften in room temperature, don’t worry if a little of the butter melts in the microwave, it will still cream beautifully. Once the mixture is ready for piping, it is best to pipe them all out quickly in one go before the mixture becomes too hard to pipe, especially in cold weather.
If you don’t like the glacé cherries, omit them, or alternatively bake the biscuits without the cherries and when they are cooled after baking, half-dip them in melted chocolate, or pipe melted chocolate onto them, then let the chocolate set before storing.
Viennese Whirls
Makes approx. 25-30 medium-large biscuits, more if you make them mini sizes.
[Ingredients]
170g butter, softened
55g icing sugar, sifted
1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract
120g plain flour, sifted
50g cornflour, sifted
red glacé cherries, quartered
http://cafeoftheeast.blogspot.com/
[Preparation]
1. Preheat oven to 160°C.
2. Cream softened butter and icing sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in vanilla.
3. Fold in both flours.
4. Fill a piping bag fitted with a 2cm star nozzle with the mixture (use 1cm star nozzle to make mini sized biscuits). Pipe out round whirls (or rosettes or stars) onto a baking sheet. Place a quartered cherry in the centre of each whirl as decoration.
Viennese Whirls
5. Chill the whirls/rosettes/stars in the refrigerator, uncovered, for about 20-30 minutes before baking.
6. Remove from the refrigerator and bake immediately for about 20 minutes, or until light golden brown in colour (reduce baking time if you are making mini sized biscuits). If necessary, turn tray around halfway through baking to ensure even baking. After cooling, store in airtight containers.
Viennese Whirls
I baked the first tray of biscuits at 170°C for 18 minutes, and the colour of the biscuits turned too brown.
Viennese Whirls
Then I tried baking the remaining biscuits on the second tray at 160°C for 20 minutes and the colour is better, a light golden brown.
[Note]
1. Please note this recipe uses 1 standard cup of 250ml, 1 tablespoon of 20ml and 1 teaspoon of 5ml.
2. The size of egg used is about 60g (includes shell) unless otherwise stated.
Labels: Biscuits (Cookies), Festives
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posted by SeaDragon @ 18.7.07 24 comments
July 15, 2007
Talking TV: Taste Le Tour 2007
It’s that time of the year again. Short days, long cold winter nights, and Christmas in July! Oh, did I not mention it – and that annual three-week cycling whirlwind across France and its neighbouring countries, Le Tour de France! And for the third year in a row comes the latest instalment of the delicious Taste le Tour from the official broadcaster here in Australia, SBS.
The recipe demonstrated each night during the broadcast features the dish or specialty of the region where the stage of the tour is held for that day. For those of you in Australia not interested in watching the cycling race but wanting to catch the brief 3-4 minutes long segment of the recipe, it is usually shown during the first fifteen minutes of the broadcast (broadcast usually starts around 10.00 or 10.30pm) here in the east coast. I’m not too sure if it is the same in South or Western Australia, or Northern Territories due to time differences.
Recipes this year:
Prologue – 7 July (London, UK): Summer Pudding
Stage 1 – 8 July (London – Canterbury, UK): Fish and Chips
Stage 2 – 9 July (Dunkerque, France – Gand, Belgium): Mussel Gratin with Spinach
Stage 3 – 10 July (Waregem, Belgium – Compiègne, France): Liège Waffles
Stage 4 – 11 July (Villers Cotterets – Joigny, France): New Vegetable Soup
Stage 5 – 12 July (Chablis – Autun, France): Perch Fillet with Asparagus and a Chablis Sauce
Stage 6 – 13 July (Semur-en-Auxois – Bourg-en-Bresse, France): Beef Burgundy
Stage 7 – 14 July (Bourg-en-Bresse – Le Grand Bornand): Bresse Chicken with Morel Mushrooms
Stage 8 – 15 July (Le Grand Bornand – Tignes): Yabbies in Puff Pastry
Stage 9 – 17 July (Val d’Isère – Briançon, France): Hazelnut Meringues with Chestnut Cream and Raspberries
Stage 10 – 18 July (Tallard – Marseille, France): Tian aux Légumes Provençals
Stage 11 – 19 July (Marseille – Montpellier, France): Filet de Rouget Poêlé à la Tapenade, Salade de Fenouil
Stage 12 – 20 July (Montpellier – Castres, France): Poached Peach and Cherry Coupe in a Lemon Syrup
Stage 13 – 21 July (Albi, France): Roast Snapper with Montpellier Butter
Stage 14 – 22 July (Mazamet – Plateau de Beille, France): Lamb Casserole with Green Olives
Stage 15 – 23 July (Foix – Loudenvielle-Le Louron, France): Apricot Compote with Almonds and Armagnac with a Ewe’s Milk Yoghurt
Stage 16 – 25 July (Orthez – Col d’Aubisque, France): Tortilla Espanola
Stage 17 – 26 July (Pau – Castelsarrasin, France): Rabbit Stew with Prunes
Stage 18 – 27 July (Cahors – Angoulême, France): Beef Fillet with Truffles and Foie Gras
Stage 19 – 28 July (Cognac – Angoulême, France): Cognac and Glacé Fruit Ice-Cream
Stage 20 – 29 July (Marcoussis – Paris Champs-Élysées, France): Crayfish à la Parisienne
For last two years’ recipes see my previous post on Taste le Tour.
The recipe demonstrated each night during the broadcast features the dish or specialty of the region where the stage of the tour is held for that day. For those of you in Australia not interested in watching the cycling race but wanting to catch the brief 3-4 minutes long segment of the recipe, it is usually shown during the first fifteen minutes of the broadcast (broadcast usually starts around 10.00 or 10.30pm) here in the east coast. I’m not too sure if it is the same in South or Western Australia, or Northern Territories due to time differences.
Recipes this year:
Prologue – 7 July (London, UK): Summer Pudding
Stage 1 – 8 July (London – Canterbury, UK): Fish and Chips
Stage 2 – 9 July (Dunkerque, France – Gand, Belgium): Mussel Gratin with Spinach
Stage 3 – 10 July (Waregem, Belgium – Compiègne, France): Liège Waffles
Stage 4 – 11 July (Villers Cotterets – Joigny, France): New Vegetable Soup
Stage 5 – 12 July (Chablis – Autun, France): Perch Fillet with Asparagus and a Chablis Sauce
Stage 6 – 13 July (Semur-en-Auxois – Bourg-en-Bresse, France): Beef Burgundy
Stage 7 – 14 July (Bourg-en-Bresse – Le Grand Bornand): Bresse Chicken with Morel Mushrooms
Stage 8 – 15 July (Le Grand Bornand – Tignes): Yabbies in Puff Pastry
Stage 9 – 17 July (Val d’Isère – Briançon, France): Hazelnut Meringues with Chestnut Cream and Raspberries
Stage 10 – 18 July (Tallard – Marseille, France): Tian aux Légumes Provençals
Stage 11 – 19 July (Marseille – Montpellier, France): Filet de Rouget Poêlé à la Tapenade, Salade de Fenouil
Stage 12 – 20 July (Montpellier – Castres, France): Poached Peach and Cherry Coupe in a Lemon Syrup
Stage 13 – 21 July (Albi, France): Roast Snapper with Montpellier Butter
Stage 14 – 22 July (Mazamet – Plateau de Beille, France): Lamb Casserole with Green Olives
Stage 15 – 23 July (Foix – Loudenvielle-Le Louron, France): Apricot Compote with Almonds and Armagnac with a Ewe’s Milk Yoghurt
Stage 16 – 25 July (Orthez – Col d’Aubisque, France): Tortilla Espanola
Stage 17 – 26 July (Pau – Castelsarrasin, France): Rabbit Stew with Prunes
Stage 18 – 27 July (Cahors – Angoulême, France): Beef Fillet with Truffles and Foie Gras
Stage 19 – 28 July (Cognac – Angoulême, France): Cognac and Glacé Fruit Ice-Cream
Stage 20 – 29 July (Marcoussis – Paris Champs-Élysées, France): Crayfish à la Parisienne
For last two years’ recipes see my previous post on Taste le Tour.
Continue Reading......
posted by SeaDragon @ 15.7.07 1 comments
July 05, 2007
Cherry Cupcakes
Cherry Cupcakes
This is a rehash of my Cherry Cake but this time made into cupcakes.
It was really an excuse to use up a leftover pack of glacé cherries from last Christmas while clearing my refrigerator over the weekend. I used another recipe by English cookery writer Mary Berry from an old cookbook and the recipe was very similar in proportion to the one by Delia Smith which I adapted from last time.
Cherry Cupcakes
Adapted from the recipe 'Cherry Cake' by Mary Berry in 'Hamlyn All Colour Cook Book'.
Makes 12 cupcakes.
[Ingredients]
200g glacé cherries, cut into halves
170g plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1⁄8 teaspoon salt
180g butter, softened
175g caster sugar
1⁄2 teaspoon lemon essence or finely grated rind of 1 lemon
3 eggs
90g almond meal (ground almond)
http://cafeoftheeast.blogspot.com/
[Preparation]
1. Preheat oven to 170°C. Line 12 muffin holes with paper cups. Sift plain flour, baking powder and salt together. Toss the cherries in a little of the flour mixture to coat.
2. Cream softened butter, sugar and lemon essence until pale and creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. Fold in almond meal and cherries.
4. Fold in the flour mixture.
5. Scoop the batter into the 12 paper cups equally.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until cooked when tested.
[Note]
1. Please note this recipe uses 1 standard cup of 250ml, 1 tablespoon of 20ml and 1 teaspoon of 5ml.
2. The size of egg used is about 60g (includes shell) unless otherwise stated.
It was really an excuse to use up a leftover pack of glacé cherries from last Christmas while clearing my refrigerator over the weekend. I used another recipe by English cookery writer Mary Berry from an old cookbook and the recipe was very similar in proportion to the one by Delia Smith which I adapted from last time.
Cherry Cupcakes
Adapted from the recipe 'Cherry Cake' by Mary Berry in 'Hamlyn All Colour Cook Book'.
Makes 12 cupcakes.
[Ingredients]
200g glacé cherries, cut into halves
170g plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1⁄8 teaspoon salt
180g butter, softened
175g caster sugar
1⁄2 teaspoon lemon essence or finely grated rind of 1 lemon
3 eggs
90g almond meal (ground almond)
http://cafeoftheeast.blogspot.com/
[Preparation]
1. Preheat oven to 170°C. Line 12 muffin holes with paper cups. Sift plain flour, baking powder and salt together. Toss the cherries in a little of the flour mixture to coat.
2. Cream softened butter, sugar and lemon essence until pale and creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. Fold in almond meal and cherries.
4. Fold in the flour mixture.
5. Scoop the batter into the 12 paper cups equally.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until cooked when tested.
[Note]
1. Please note this recipe uses 1 standard cup of 250ml, 1 tablespoon of 20ml and 1 teaspoon of 5ml.
2. The size of egg used is about 60g (includes shell) unless otherwise stated.
Labels: Cakes and Cupcakes, Teatime Treats
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posted by SeaDragon @ 5.7.07 4 comments
July 01, 2007
Chocolate Rollcake
Chocolate Rollcake
I have this rollcake recipe for a while now, and I think I have only made it once before, oh, that would have been 4-5 years ago. So I thought of doing it again since I have forgotten how that turned out last time. After baking it again, I realized the cake strips were too thick, that must have been the case before as well! Oh well since I didn't record it, I have forgotten all about this problem. I should have made the cake strips thinner so the contrast with the icing could be more pronounced! So I am posting it here to remind myself for future reference!
Chocolate Rollcake
[Ingredients]
Chocolate Sponge Sheet Cake:
4 egg yolks
40g caster sugar (A)
pinch salt
40ml canola or corn oil
60ml hot water
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract
70g cake flour
20g cornflour
1⁄4 teaspoon baking soda
4 egg whites
80g caster sugar (B)
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
60g melted butter
Cream Cheese Icing:
300ml thickened (whipping) cream
125g cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons pure icing sugar
For rosette decoration (optional):
whipped cream
pandan and strawberry paste
http://cafeoftheeast.blogspot.com/
[Preparation]
For the Sponge Sheet:
1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a 30cm x 25cm Swiss roll pan and line the bottom with baking paper. Sift together cake flour, cornflour and baking soda, set aside. Dissolve cocoa powder in hot water and set aside.
2. Put egg yolks, caster sugar (A) and salt in a large mixing bowl and whisk until creamy. Add oil, dissolved cocoa, vanilla and whisk to combine well.
3. Whisk egg whites and cream of tartar in another mixing bowl until foamy with tiny even small bubbles. Add caster sugar (B) gradually, spoonful by spoonful, whisking until soft peaks formed.
4. Sift the flour mixture into the egg yolk mixture, whisking lightly to combine. Fold 1/3 of the meringue into the egg yolk batter lightly and gently. Repeat twice more with the remaining meringue. Finally fold in melted butter.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spread evenly. Tap the pan lightly on the bench a couple of times to get rid of any large air bubbles in the batter.
6. Bake in preheated oven for about 18-20 minutes (do not overbake or it will tend to crack when rolling up), or until the surface feels dry.
7. Remove from oven and stand 5 minutes. Loosen sides of cake from the pan if necessary. Turn over to release the cake from the pan. Remove the lining paper on the bottom of the cake. Turn the cake, right side up, back into its pan to cool until lukewarm.
For the Cream Cheese Icing:
Whisk the softened cream cheese and icing sugar until combined. Gradually pour in the cream and continue to whisk until thickened to a spreading consistency.
For the Rollcake:
1. Trim off the hard edges from the sheet cake. Mark the short side of the sheet into 4 equal width of about 5cm and cut the cake into 4 strips (this width will become the height of the cake).
Chocolate Rollcake
Bake a chocolate sponge sheet cake and cut into 5-6cm wide strips.
2. Spread the cream cheese icing onto the strips.
Chocolate Rollcake
Ice the cake strips with cream cheese icing.
3. Roll up the first iced cake strip like a Swiss roll. Stand the rolled-up strip on the cut side. Take the second iced strip and join one end to the end of the first strip and continue to roll up. Repeat with the remaining two iced strips.
Chocolate Rollcake
Roll up the iced strips into a round cake.
4. Chill the cake in the refrigerator for 30 minutes if doing this in hot weather to firm up the icing.
5. Frost the remaining icing over the cake to cover. If desired, use whipped cream with added essence paste to decorate the cake.
Chocolate Rollcake
Decorate as desired.
[Note]
1. Please note this recipe uses 1 standard cup of 250ml, 1 tablespoon of 20ml and 1 teaspoon of 5ml.
2. The size of egg used is about 60g (includes shell) unless otherwise stated.
Chocolate Rollcake
[Ingredients]
Chocolate Sponge Sheet Cake:
4 egg yolks
40g caster sugar (A)
pinch salt
40ml canola or corn oil
60ml hot water
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract
70g cake flour
20g cornflour
1⁄4 teaspoon baking soda
4 egg whites
80g caster sugar (B)
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
60g melted butter
Cream Cheese Icing:
300ml thickened (whipping) cream
125g cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons pure icing sugar
For rosette decoration (optional):
whipped cream
pandan and strawberry paste
http://cafeoftheeast.blogspot.com/
[Preparation]
For the Sponge Sheet:
1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a 30cm x 25cm Swiss roll pan and line the bottom with baking paper. Sift together cake flour, cornflour and baking soda, set aside. Dissolve cocoa powder in hot water and set aside.
2. Put egg yolks, caster sugar (A) and salt in a large mixing bowl and whisk until creamy. Add oil, dissolved cocoa, vanilla and whisk to combine well.
3. Whisk egg whites and cream of tartar in another mixing bowl until foamy with tiny even small bubbles. Add caster sugar (B) gradually, spoonful by spoonful, whisking until soft peaks formed.
4. Sift the flour mixture into the egg yolk mixture, whisking lightly to combine. Fold 1/3 of the meringue into the egg yolk batter lightly and gently. Repeat twice more with the remaining meringue. Finally fold in melted butter.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spread evenly. Tap the pan lightly on the bench a couple of times to get rid of any large air bubbles in the batter.
6. Bake in preheated oven for about 18-20 minutes (do not overbake or it will tend to crack when rolling up), or until the surface feels dry.
7. Remove from oven and stand 5 minutes. Loosen sides of cake from the pan if necessary. Turn over to release the cake from the pan. Remove the lining paper on the bottom of the cake. Turn the cake, right side up, back into its pan to cool until lukewarm.
For the Cream Cheese Icing:
Whisk the softened cream cheese and icing sugar until combined. Gradually pour in the cream and continue to whisk until thickened to a spreading consistency.
For the Rollcake:
1. Trim off the hard edges from the sheet cake. Mark the short side of the sheet into 4 equal width of about 5cm and cut the cake into 4 strips (this width will become the height of the cake).
Chocolate Rollcake
Bake a chocolate sponge sheet cake and cut into 5-6cm wide strips.
2. Spread the cream cheese icing onto the strips.
Chocolate Rollcake
Ice the cake strips with cream cheese icing.
3. Roll up the first iced cake strip like a Swiss roll. Stand the rolled-up strip on the cut side. Take the second iced strip and join one end to the end of the first strip and continue to roll up. Repeat with the remaining two iced strips.
Chocolate Rollcake
Roll up the iced strips into a round cake.
4. Chill the cake in the refrigerator for 30 minutes if doing this in hot weather to firm up the icing.
5. Frost the remaining icing over the cake to cover. If desired, use whipped cream with added essence paste to decorate the cake.
Chocolate Rollcake
Decorate as desired.
[Note]
1. Please note this recipe uses 1 standard cup of 250ml, 1 tablespoon of 20ml and 1 teaspoon of 5ml.
2. The size of egg used is about 60g (includes shell) unless otherwise stated.
Labels: Cakes and Cupcakes, Coffee Desserts
Continue Reading......
posted by SeaDragon @ 1.7.07 7 comments
