Choux Pastry

Following my previous post of pastry cream, it is time for making choux pastry!  This pastry dough is used to make profiteroles or choux a la creme, eclairs, Paris-Brest, Saint-Honoré or croquembouche.

This very humble and simple pastry can produce very fancy result such as the new hit "eclair" that can be found with different filling and colorful topping :)

The very first step, we must decide first whether we want to use only water that produces crispier and more rigid end product or to use a combination of water and milk that gives a softer and browner shell.

Let us begin to bake!


Choux Pastry

Ingredients:

250 ml water or 125 ml water + 125 ml full-cream milk
125 gr flour, sifted
100 gr butter or you can use margarine as well
4 eggs (large)
1 tsp sugar
½  tsp salt

 (1 beaten egg, to glaze) * optional

Methods:

• Add water (or milk and water), sugar, salt and diced butter into a saucepan then bring to a boil over medium heat then stir until the butter melts. 

• Add the sifted flour and stir continuously until flour is fully incorporated. You´ll get lumps if you whisk too slow or pause during steering up the mixture.

• The dough is done when it no longer sticks to the saucepan and leaves thin layer of crust on the bottom of pan (It takes about 3-4 minutes).

• Transfer the dough into a mixing bowl and cool it slightly by whisking the mixture then leave it to cool for approximately 3 to 5 minutes.

• Stir in the eggs one at a time with a spatula or with an electric mixer.

• We can start piping and use the dough straight away or can be refrigerated overnight  or frozen for up to 1 month before baking (Thaw the dough before using).

• After piping, bake them in a 180°C oven for 32-35 minutes until the pastry is golden brown.  The baking time depends on the size of the pieces.

• Poke the puffs with a toothpick to release the steam from inside.  This will prevent the risk of collapsing (deflating) puffs. 

• Transfer the puffs to a cooling rack and cool them completely.   Or if you want a crispy shells put them back to the oven, with the oven door slightly open for about 10-15 min to let the shells completely dry out, then cool them completely.
  
  
• The puffs can be filled or can be refrigerated in an airtight container or bag overnight. Put the refrigerated puffs in a 100°C oven for a few minutes to crisp them up again if necessary. Then fill the puffs with your favorite filling.

You should give a try to my favorite filling Crème Pâtissière à la Vanille ( Vanilla Pastry Cream )

Happy baking!

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter! What have you baked for Easter this year?

I made this cute traditional Easter cake from Germany.  It is called Osterlammkuchen, it means literally  Easter lamb cake.

Lamb cake mold from Zenker

I bought this lamb mold from Zenker for around 10 Euro.  This mold is equipped with 4 paperclips to hold the molds together.  At first I was uncertain whether this will go smoothly. It turned out, the paperclips did their job really good! Do not underestimate the power of paperclips ;)  You just need to "trim" the cake at the bottom and around the edges. 

For the cake batter, I used the lemon cake recipe. After the cake came out from the oven, it has to be cooled completely before we can open the mold. You just need to "trim" the cake around the edges and decorate it with powdered sugar.  Voilaaaa you got an eye catcher at your party table!
 

Lemon Cake Video

 I would happy to know, what have you baked for easter this year!

Crème Pâtissière à la Vanille ( Vanilla Pastry Cream )

Today I will share  crème pâtissière à la Vanille recipe. 

Crème pâtissière, as a filling in French pâtisserie, has a smooth and firm texture.  It can be plain or be flavored with vanilla, coffee, orange or lemon zest, chocolate, or liquor (rum, amaretto, or Cointreau). 

 
Making this thick custard is a preparation for making desserts such as cream pies, profiteroles, eclair, cakes and tarts. These desserts with crème pâtissière are best served cold.  So I suggest to make this cream a day ahead and let the crème pâtissière rest overnight in the fridge.

Let´s begin!


Vanilla Pastry Cream

Ingredients:
500 ml whole milk (3.5 - 3.8% fat)
4 large egg yolks
100 gr sugar
20 gr cornstarch + 20 gr plain flour, sifted
40 grams unsalted butter (3 tbsp)
½ vanilla bean or 1 tbsp vanilla extract (*If you use vanilla extract, add it at the end after adding butter)

Methods:

• Bring the milk, vanilla bean (pulp and pod) to  boil in a saucepan over medium-low heat.  If you want to use liquor as flavor, this would be the perfect time to add it into the mixture.
• In a mixing bowl break the yolks then whisk together with sugar, until combine. Add sifted starch and mix until smooth and fully incorporated.
• When the milk is hot, pour about half of it into yolk mixture and combine well then transfer it to the previous pan.
• Whisk continuously over medium heat, once you feel that the mixture is becoming slightly thick, remove it from the heat and add butter then whisk until the mixture is thick.
• Transfer to a bowl, cover the surface tightly with a piece of plastic wrap.This will prevent the formation of a crust (or dry skin). 
• Cool the cream in the fridge, minimum resting time in the fridge: 2-3 hours.

Note:

1. Use the pastry cream within 3 days.
2. Before using, whisk in the bowl for few seconds until smooth.

Gyoza- & Wonton Wrappers

Like most of asian people, I love to eat savory dumpling such as pan fried dumpling gyoza and wonton soup. If you are living in a western country, you can´t just go to Chinese restaurant and eat there every time you crave dumpling (unless you don´t care about your living cost budget ;-p ).

In asian countries we can find dumpling wrappers in every local supermarket.  But here in western country, we have to go to Asian store just to buy dumpling wrappers.  Save your time and money by making it yourself. 

  

It´s time for me to share how to make wonton- and gyoza wrappers. 
 

Gyoza- & Wonton Wrappers
Serve:30-32 pieces

Ingredients:
250 g all purpose flour
½ tsp salt
125 ml water  

For dusting, you may need:
All purpose flour to ease the dough kneading process
Corn starch to prevent the wrappers sticking to each other

 Methods:

• Add salt into hot water until dissolved. 
• Then mix the salted hot water with flour using fork, until warm enough to handle with bare hand.   
• Knead the dough for about 3 minutes until it becomes soft and loses its stickiness.
• Cover the dough with plastic wrap or tea towel and let the dough rest for about 30 minutes. 
• After around 30 minutes, knead it once again for 5 minutes before forming it into gyoza- or wonton wrappers

Forming Wonton wrappers:

1. To make it easier to form, halve the dough.  While working with the half dough, cover the other half to prevent it from drying out.
2. Flatten the dough until it becomes like a disk, then sprinkle some cornstarch before folding the dough (as shown in my youtube video). Use cornstarch to prevent the dough glued to each other. After that, roll out the dough in perpendicular direction to the folds(as shown in my youtube video).
3. Repeat the process (folding and rolling out the dough) until it reach the thickness you desire (ca.2-3 mm).
4. Cut the dough into rectangle shape (8x8 cm or 10x10 cm)
5. Sprinkle some cornstarch to both side of wrappers before stacking them up.

Forming Gyoza wrappers:

1. As shown before, to make it easier to form, halve the dough then roll the dough into long cylinder.
2. Divide the cylinder into 15-16 pieces
3. Flatten the small cylinder until it forms small disk (ca. 8 cm in diameter). If you like just use 8 cm round cookie cutter. 

Note:

• Don´t throw away rest of the dough. Sprinkle a bit water on it so that you can knead and form it again.
• Usually gyoza wrappers are thinner than wonton wrappers.
• Use high-gluten flour for fried or boiled wontons (you can use plain flour)
• For steamed dumplings use low protein flour 
• You can store the wrappers in airtight container (last to 3 days).

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Panna Cotta with Kiwi Sauce (Using Agar-Agar)

If you looking for a dessert, panna cotta would be one of the simplest dessert. This Italian dessert means literally cooked cream (panna = cream, cotta = cooked).

Panna Cotta with Kiwi Sauce

Usually panna cotta is served with berry sauce to give a creamy taste a kick due to the tartness and sweetness of strawberry or raspberry. You can also serve it with other fruit. For this recipe  I use kiwi sauce. I love also to combine mango sauce with this creamy dessert.

 

My Favorite Sauce: Mango Sauce and Kiwi Sauce

So let´s begin

Panna Cotta 
Serve: 6-8 Portions

Ingredients:
500 ml heavy cream
60 gr sugar (about 3 ½ tbsp)
½ vanilla pod or 1 tsp vanilla extract / vanilla essence
10 gr agar-agar

For kiwi sauce:
2 kiwis
3 tbsp powdered sugar

Methods:

1. In a saucepan mix heavy cream, agar-agar and sugar then bring to simmer over lower heat.
2. Scrape out the seeds of vanilla bean with a knife, then add the seeds and pod to the saucepan.
3. Stir the mixture until you see steam coming up then remove the saucepan from the heat. Do not let the mixture boil
4. Discard the vanilla pod then pour the cream into mold.
5. Set it aside until cool enough then put into fridge for at least 5 hours (preferably overnight)

Kiwi Sauce:

1. Cut kiwi into small pieces then put them into food processor.
2. Add powdered sugar into food processor then process until you have the preferable consistency.

Note:

• Before serving, dip the bottom of the molds in hot water for 5 - 10 seconds. 
• Run first a thin knife around the edge of each mold before inverting the panna cotta onto the serving plate then serve with kiwi sauce.
• Alternatively you can serve the panna cotta in mold by just pouring kiwi sauce on the top of custard.

Persiapan Giveaway 1

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Setelah 3 panci Happycallnya disiapkan oleh si Dedek, saya akhirnya bisa tenang. Kami pesan langsung dari website yang di sarankan oleh http://happycall.co.id (supaya tidak membeli barang palsu).

Terimakasih juga buat dedek dan keluarga saya yang jadi sangat-sangat repot, agar
program giveaway ini bisa berjalan dengan lancar.  Buat sahabat-sahabat masak saya, kesempatan masih banyak untuk memenuhi semua ketentuan sebelum 15 Oktober 2015. Semoga beruntung ya!

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Giveaway ini dimulai dari 15 Sept – 15 Okt 2015.
Pengumuman pemenang pada 20 Okt 2015

Pememenang akan diundi dan akan dihubungi lewat email

Untuk memperbanyak kesempatan memenangkan hadiah panci ini, kunjungi instagram 

dan kesempatan kamu untuk mendapatkan panci lebih besar lagi.

Semoga beruntung!

Self-Rising Flour & Buttermilk Substitute

Some recipes require self rising flour and buttermilk.  When it comes to "not every day ingredients" like these two, you might not store them in your kitchen. So you have to postpone or plan your cooking or baking time, until you can provide them.

Actually you can make substitutes for these "special ingredients" by combining your every day ingredients. 

Homemade self rising flour substitute
You will need: 

• 130 gr or 1 cup of all purpose flour
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder   
• ¼ tsp salt 

Methods:

1.  Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl.
2.  Mix thoroughly (or you can sieve them). 
3.  Your self rising flour substitute is ready to use :)

Homemade buttermilk substitute
You will need: 

• 250 ml or 1 cup of milk
• 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice or 1 tbsp distilled white vinegar

Methods:

1.  Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl.
2.  Mix the mixture thoroughly.
3.  Let sit for about 5 - 10 minutes.
4.  Your buttermilk substitute is ready to use :)

Happy baking you all :)
 

Vanilla Crescent Cookies (Kue Putri Salju)

Following cat tongue biscuit post, this time I will share Vanilla Crescent cookies which was originated in Vienna Austria.  It is known as Vanillekipferl or almond crescents cookies  coated with vanilla sugar.  

In my country (Indonesia) we call it snow white cookies due to the icing sugar as its topping :). The Indonesian version of this cookies has powder milk as one of the ingredients.  But I will use cream cheese instead to make them creamier.

I was so lucky to find moon crescent cookie cutter in traditional market in Palembang (my hometown) for 10.000 IDR/pcs (less than 1 Euro).  If you can´t find one, just use any cookie cutter.

Vanillekipferl (vanilla crescent cookies)

Ingredients: 

Authentic version:

250 g all purpose flour

200 g butter 

80 g granulated sugar (ca. 8 tbsp)

2 egg yolks

100 g shelled and ground almonds (Substitute: Cashew)

1 pinch of salt  

1 tsp vanilla extract

Lumi's Version:
Optional: 30 gr cream cheese (ca. 2 tbsp), but you should reduce the amount of butter (use 175 gr butter)

For dusting & coating: 200 gr powdered sugar 

Methods:

1.  Mix butter and sugar until the mixture becomes fluffy and has pale color.

2.  Add egg yolks, vanilla extract (optional) and salt then mix well.

3.  At this point, you can add cream cheese (optional) in to the dough and mix until      

     combined.

4.  Before we adding ground almond and flour, we could change the mixer beaters into 

     the dough hooks.  If you want to use spatula or wooden spoon it is completely fine. 

5.  Add ground almond into the mixture and stir well

6.  Add half amount of flour into the dough and mix it, afterwards add the rest of the 

     flour then  stir until combined.

7.  Place the dough in the fridge for one hour to cool for the flavors to develop.  After 1 

     hour, take out the dough from refrigerator and halve the dough to make it easier

     to form.  Don´t forget to dust work board to make it easier to roll out the dough.

8.  Preheat the oven to 180°C and place the oven rack  in the middle of the oven (I use 

     rack 3 of 4 from bottom).

9.  Roll out the dough to a thickness of about 7-10 mm.

10.  Form the flattened dough with crescent-shaped dough-cutter (or any other shape). 

11.  Bake the cookies in a preheated oven for about 8 to 10 minutes or until the edges

       become golden brown.

12.  After taking out the cookies from the oven, dust them with powdered sugar while    

       they are still in the baking tray and hot/warm. Otherwise the powdered sugar won´t

       stick to the cookies. Don´t ignore the bottom part of the cookies. Cover the bottom 

       part of the cookie by swiping it over the excess powdered sugar.

13.  After the cookies  getting a bit cooler (so they are not breaking apart, if they are  

       touched), toss the cookie into a bowl of sifted powdered sugar to make sure all sides

      of the cookies are coated.

14.  Transfer the cookies to cooling racks to cool completely before storing them in  

       airtight container or cookies jar.

15.  While transferring the cookies into a cookies jar, you may dust some powdered sugar 

       on each layer of the cookies.

Let me know, if you guys use this recipe (whether the authentic version or my version) and share with me about your experience :)

Lemon Cake (Bake it or "Cook" it with Rice Cooker)

Today I will share how to make a lemon cake. This lemon cake is great addition to your coffee break or tea time. It´s citrus flavor that makes me love this cake. The flavor comes from lemon zest and lemon juice, which added to the batter. Zest is the outer layer (the colorful layer) of citrus fruit skin. The citrus flavor and the sweetness of this cake give you a sweet fresh kick to get through the day :)

With this recipe, you can obtain a great result by either baking or "cooking" it with rice cooker. This recipe is suitable for the family size rice cooker. If you have the mini one (0,7 L), you can halve the amount of the ingredients! 

Lemon Cake

Ingredients:

Cake batter:

200 gr (20 tbsp) all-purpose flour   

50 gr (3 tbsp) corn starch

1 ½ tbsp baking powder 

¼ tsp salt

250 gr unsalted butter (soft)

220 -250 gr (16-18 tbsp) granulated sugar 
 4 medium egg,

5 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice ( from ca. ½ of big sized lemon)

Lemon flavored glaze:

100 gr powdered sugar (icing sugar)

4 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Methods:

For the cake:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C and place the oven rack in the middle of the oven.  Grease your  rice cooker pan with butter.  (If you want to bake it with oven, don´t forget to flour your pan)
2. Mix flour, corn starch, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl then set aside.
3. In another mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Zest the lemon with zester tool or with fine grater.  While zesting,  be careful not to include the white pith. It is bitter.  Add lemon juice then mix until the batter combined.
5. Add the flour mixture alternately with eggs to the lemon-flavored butter-sugar mixture.  After each addition, mix until combined.
6. Beat until the batter becomes smooth.
7. Pour the batter into  the prepared rice cooker pan or baking pan.
8. After placing the rice cooker pan into rice cooker, press the cook button. Cooking time will vary.  The button could shift to "keep warm" mode, just wait for another 10 minutes. But don´t force it. Your cake still can be cooked even in "keep warm" mode.                                                                                                                                    Or, if you want to use oven, bake it for 25-30 minutes.  
9. Insert  a skewer to the center of the cake to check if it is done. If the skewer comes out clean, your cake is done. 
10. Remove the cake from the rice cooker pan or baking pan then invert it onto the serving plate.
11. Glaze the cake before you serve it.

For the glaze: 

1. Combine powdered sugar with lemon juice then mix until all  powdered sugar dissolved.
2. Spread the lemon flavored glaze over cooled cake. Store cake in refrigerator.

Note:

• My cooking time for lemon cake is 50 minutes.  
• If you bake the cake and wanting the cake to be lighter in color, after 15 or 20 minutes you should cover our cake with aluminum foil then bake it again until it is done.

Cat Tongue Biscuit (Langue de Chat or Kue Lidah Kucing)

Looking for something simple yet tasty for Eid al Fitr celebration? Why not making  Cat Tongue biscuit?

Cat tongue biscuits

This French biscuit has a unique name (langue de chat or cat tongue) because of it´s oval shape and size that similar to a cat’s tongue. This classic biscuit is sweet and crispy and can be a great addition to your favorite hot beverages, vanilla ice cream and other dessert like crème brûlée, custards, puddings, etc.

Making chocolate cat tongue biscuits with mold

I got this beautiful langue de chat mold for 15.000 IDR/pcs (ca. 1 Euro) in one of supermarkt in Palembang, Indonesia (my hometown).  If you can´t find this mold, just use any baking tray.  You could get the pretty shape of this cookies, If you were an expert on piping the batter.  Don´t bother about the shape, it is still tasty :)

Cat tongue biscuit shape: without mold (left) and with mold (right)

Let's begin!

Ingredients :

125 g all-purpose flour, sifted

 (* Chocolate version: 110 g flour + 1 tbsp or 5 g Dutch-processed unsweetened cocoa powder)

125 g soft butter
100 g granulated sugar
100 g egg whites (ca. 3 egg whites from medium size eggs)
1 pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract/vanilla essence (optional)

*Garnish (optional):  100 gr medium sweet chocolate
                                1 tbsp butter
 

Methods:

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C and place the oven rack  in the middle of the oven.  Lightly butter the mold or if you use baking tray just use parchment paper to make it simple ;)
   
2. Beat butter and sugar until the mixture becomes fluffy and has a pale color.
3. Add sifted flour then mix well. (*chocolate version: at the same time, add the sifted cocoa powder)
4. Add white eggs then mix well until the mixture becomes fluffy.
5. Add salt and vanilla extract (optional) then mix well until combined.
6. Fill a piping bag fitted with a decorating tip or nozzle (ca.1 cm in diameter).  Or you can also use 1 liter-plastic bag.  After filling it with batter, cut the tip.
7. Pipe the batter on to the mold or if you use baking tray pipe the batter around 6 - 8 cm-long lines with ca. 3 cm gaps in between.
8. Bake the cookies in preheated oven for about 10 to 12 minutes or until the edges become golden brown.
9. Let them cooled completely then store them in an airtight container.

   
   

   
   

Make sure the biscuits are cooled completely before storing them in a container

Note:

• To melt chocolate and butter, can easily be done by using steamer pan or a folding steamer basket. 
• Store the left over chocolate dip in freezer.  It can be used as garnish or topping for other cookies.

I love to hear from you guys, where you can find this cat tongue´s mold or how much you paid for it, or just share your experience if you try this recipe :)