Another Anniversary post for KBB, The Chief decided to host two kinds of competition, cake decorating and food photography, I decided to participate in the last one only. I would like to do both of them but timing seems not to be on my side.

With this post also I would like to inform you guys that maybe posting in Simplicious might be a “little bit” slow , I’m not going to be “Missing  In Action”, still going to tweet from time to time, and promise will be back as soon as possible with a new post.

Without further due,  here is my contribution for KBB challenge #13: Merah Putih-from My Kitchen

Coconut Rice Pudding Parfait with Strawberry and Mint

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup water
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup long grain rice
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 can coconut milk (13.5 to14.5 ouce)
• 4 tbsp packed brow sugar
• 4 tbsp granulated sugar
• 7  fresh mint leaves
• 100 gr strawberries, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

Directions

1. Cook the rice with water and salt to al dente
2. Stir the whole milk, coconut milk, brow sugar and granulated sugar into the rice, bring the mixture just to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat and cook at a bare simmer, stirring frequently at first and constantly toward the end, until the mixture is thick and creamy and the rice is very soft (+/- 30 mins). Transfer to a bowl and let it cool to room temperature, stirring frequently to keep the skin from forming.
3. Refrigerate the  rice pudding, tightly covered, for at least 4 hours.
4. To serve,  cut some of the mint leaves into fine shreds. Stir together the strawberry, shredded mint and lemon juice in a medium bowl. Spoon a layer of  2/3 batch of rice pudding into each of 4  short glasses, add 2 tbsp of strawberry mix, top with the rest of pudding batch, add another 2 tbsp of strawberry mix. Garnish each serving with a whole mint leaf.

*Another picture for CLICK

As I mentioned on my previous post before, I have been around the blogosphere for quite sometimes, but I feel food-theme  is slightly different than any other blog themes. So let me lay out some things that makes me love food-bloging

Food-bloging lets you “move” beyond posting,reading and commenting. At first I made the blog as a recipes documentary, then I join the Daring Bakers  and KBB, I ‘ve been challenged to new baking methods and techniques , I never thought  I would even come near them.

Inside the Food -bloggers community all kind stuffs are created  from recipes showcases, monthly events, alliances (I know I put only a link to each subject but there are quite a few of links to name if you look out there) to a medium to look for a “parent” (how cool is that?). These things allow you to  be easily exposed to the  foodies world.

I started Flickr-ing long before I even start blogging, but I made my new account  just to compliment my food blog and also to join this and that. Now besides Flickr, twitter is  “THE” new rage… becoming a foodie tweep keeps you  almost 24×7 “in-touch” with FOOD!!!

And after all those if you are still hungry, then just sit back and have some cookies

Barley Orange Mint Lace Cookies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup barley flour
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 175 gr unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tbsp grated orange zest
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp  peppermint extract
• 1/2 tbsp dried mint leaves

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 180′C
2. Combine in a large bowl the sugar, barley flour, all-purpose flour and baking powder. Add the melted butter, milk, maple syrup, orange zest, mint leaves, vanilla and peppermint extract.
3. Let it rest for about 10 minutes
4. Drop heaping tbsp of the batter onto prepared silpats form round 1 inch in diameter with 3inches space apart.
5. Bake for about 10 minutes or until the edges are brown
6. Remove the cookies from from the silpat to cooling racks, let it cool completely.
7. Dip half part of the cookies into Chocolate Coating (optional), chill until the chocolate set.

Chocolate Coating

Ingredients

• 250 gr bitter-sweet chocolate, chopped
• 50 gr butter

Directions

Melt chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl placed over (but not touching) simmering water.

Two months just slipped away, it’s time again for KBB ’s challenge, the challenge this time is hosted by two selves proclaimed “sweet” ladies (ha… no.. they are seriously really sweet), Dita and Lina. Comfort dessert (although,  I think dessert by any name is comforting ) simple to make but with superb flavors (two of my favorites, mint & caramel), great texture pairing and not to mention delicious of course.

Beware that the caramel pots are addictive, that’s why I make half batch of the shortbread and a full batch of the caramel…. yumm…yumm 

Caramel Pots with Minted Shortbread Sticks

Source: Chef Fred Wiesehutter, Heritage Christchurch, posted at Foodtown Magazine.

Minted Shortbread Sticks

100g icing sugar

200g flour

100g cornflour

250g unsalted butter, softened

1 vanilla pod, seeds removed and reserved

1 sprig mint, chopped

Preheat the oven to 150C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

Combine the icing sugar, flours, butter, vanilla seeds and mint in a bowl and mix well. Roll out to about 1cm thick. Cut into 2 x 8cm fingers. Place on the prepared tray and bake for 20-25 minutes, until lightly golden. Cool and store in an airtight container until required. Makes about 30.

Caramel Pots

125g caster sugar

2 Tbs water

125ml milk

250ml cream

3 egg yolks

Whisk the sugar into the water in a saucepan. Heat carefully and cook to a golden caramel. Combine milk and cream in a separate saucepan and warm-do not boil. Whisk the milk into the caramel. Cool slightly.

Beat the egg yolks, until creamy. Gradually pour the hot caramel onto the egg yolks, mixing well.

Pour into four ramekins. Bake in a water bath at 160C for 30 minutes or until set. Remove the ramekin, cool then chill. Serves

After the anniversary’s edition of KBB’s challenge, I  am still kind of having baking/cooking burnt out, and the fact that I’m going on vacation is not really helping either

Again I was fooled by the recipe of this month challenge (host by Arfi and Ellen), by reading it I thought… yea it’s going to be  easy peazy simple recipe and ingredients, but…. NOOOOO…. making this biscuit need alot of work almost like making complicated cake.

The most difficult part is making the chocolate coat, you need to find the perfect thickness of the chocolate if it’s to runny yous biscuits will be dampy not crunchy and if it’s too thick it won’t cover your biscuit smoothly:) I add a little bit of orange essence to the dough to get some extra tangy taste.

 Source: Donna Hay for Canvas, NZ Herald.

Ingredients

Gently knead the dough to bring together. Roll the dough between two sheets of baking paper to 2mm thick. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Cut out 36 x 7 x 5cm rectangles. Place on baking trays lined with baking paper and bake for 5-6 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool on trays.

I ate opera cake maybe already a million times, but never before I would have thought that one day I would make it by my own hands, thanks to the Daring Bakers, my first challenge (hosted by: apples-peaches-pumpkin-pie  and whiskful ) was a real excitement.

I made the syrup,buttercream and almond meal (yeah, I make the meal by my self too) a day before, so I could have more time working on the joconde the next day, but as the day arrived, my 6 months old daughter wouldn’t stop crying, I really had to find my way through, between nursing and baking. I took me the whole day almost 8hrs to have the cake done.

Now looking back, I’m very glad that I have survived “the day”and once again I never thought that I’d be dare

Please checkout the other daring bakers for more flavors and better cakes ,

This recipe is based on Opéra Cake recipes in Dorie Greenspan’s Paris Sweets and Tish Boyle and Timothy Moriarty’s Chocolate Passion.

For the joconde

(Note: The joconde can be made up to 1 day in advance and kept wrapped at room temperate)

What you’ll need:

• 2 12½ x 15½-inch (31 x 39-cm) jelly-roll pans
• a few tablespoons of melted butter (in addition to what’s called for in the ingredients’ list) and a brush (to grease the pans)
• parchment paper
• a whisk and a paddle attachment for a stand mixer or for a handheld mixer
• two mixing bowls (you can make do with one but it’s preferable to have two)

Ingredients:

• 6 large egg whites, at room temperature
• 2 tbsp. (30 grams) granulated sugar
• 2 cups (225 grams) ground blanched almonds
• 2 cups icing sugar, sifted
• 6 large eggs
• ½ cup (70 grams) all-purpose flour
• 3 tbsp. (1½ ounces; 45 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Divide the oven into thirds by positioning a rack in the upper third of the oven and the lower third of the oven.

Preheat the oven to 425^{◦F. (220◦C).}

Line two 12½ x 15½- inch (31 x 39-cm) jelly-roll pans with parchment paper and brush with melted butter.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or using a handheld mixer), beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Add the granulated sugar and beat until the peaks are stiff and glossy. If you do not have another mixer bowl, gently scrape the meringue into another bowl and set aside.

If you only have one bowl, wash it after removing the egg whites or if you have a second bowl, use that one. Attach the paddle attachment to the stand mixer (or using a handheld mixer again) and beat the almonds, icing sugar and eggs on medium speed until light and voluminous, about 3 minutes.

Add the flour and beat on low speed until the flour is just combined (be very careful not to overmix here!!!).

Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the meringue into the almond mixture and then fold in the melted butter. Divide the batter between the pans and spread it evenly to cover the entire surface of each pan.

Bake the cake layers until they are lightly browned and just springy to the touch. This could take anywhere from 5 to 9 minutes depending on your oven. Place one jelly-roll pan in the middle of the oven and the second jelly-roll pan in the bottom third of the oven.

Put the pans on a heatproof counter and run a sharp knife along the edges of the cake to loosen it from the pan. Cover each with a sheet of parchment or wax paper, turn the pans over, and unmold.

Carefully peel away the parchment, then turn the parchment over and use it to cover the cakes. Let the cakes cool to room temperature.

(Note: The syrup can be made up to 1 week in advance and kept covered in the refrigerator.)

What you’ll need:

• a small saucepan

Ingredients

•   ½ cup (125 grams) water
• ⅓ cup (65 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 to 2 tbsp. of mint flavouring 

 Stir all the syrup ingredients together in the saucepan and bring to a boil.

 Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

For the buttercream

(Note: The buttercream can be made up to 1 month in advance and packed in an airtight container. If made way in advance, you can freeze the buttercream. Alternatively you can refrigerate it for up to 4 days after making it. To use the buttercream simply bring it to room temperature and then beat it briefly to restore its consistency.)

•  a small saucepan
• a candy or instant-read thermometer
• a stand mixer or handheld mixer
• a bowl and a whisk attachment
• rubber spatula

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
• ¼ cup (60 grams) water
• seeds of one vanilla bean (split a vanilla bean down the middle and scrape out the seeds) or 1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1¾ sticks (7 ounces; 200 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature (Used to say 1¾ cups of butter but it should be 1¾ sticks).
• lemon flavouring

Combine the sugar, water and vanilla bean seeds or extract in a small saucepan and warm over medium heat just until the sugar dissolves.

Continue to cook, without stirring, until the syrup reaches 225◦F (107◦C) on a candy or instant-read thermometer. Once it reaches that temperature, remove the syrup from the heat.

While the syrup is heating, begin whisking the egg and egg yolk at high speed in the bowl of your mixer using the whisk attachment. Whisk them until they are pale and foamy.

When the sugar syrup reaches the correct temperature and you remove it from the heat, reduce the mixer speed to low speed and begin slowly (very slowly) pouring the syrup down the side of the bowl being very careful not to splatter the syrup into the path of the whisk attachment. Some of the syrup will spin onto the sides of the bowl but don’t worry about this and don’t try to stir it into the mixture as it will harden! Raise the speed to medium-high and continue beating until the eggs are thick and satiny and the mixture is cool to the touch (about 5 minutes or so).

While the egg mixture is beating, place the softened butter in a bowl and mash it with a spatula until you have a soft creamy mass.

With the mixer on medium speed, begin adding in two-tablespoon chunks. When all the butter has been incorporated, raise the mixer speed to high and beat until the buttercream is thick and shiny.

At this point add in your flavouring and beat for an additional minute or so.

Refrigerate the buttercream, stirring it often, until it’s set enough (firm enough) to spread when topped with a layer of cake (about 20 minutes).

Assembling the Opéra Cake

(Note: The finished cake should be served slightly chilled. It can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 1 day).

Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper.

Place one square of cake on the baking sheet and moisten it gently with the flavoured syrup.

Spread about one-third of the buttercream over this layer.

Top with the two rectangular pieces of cake, placing them side by side to form a square. Moisten these pieces with the flavoured syrup.

Spread another third of the buttercream on the cake and then top with the third square of joconde. Use the remaining syrup to wet the joconde. Spread the remaining buttercream on top of the final layer of joconde and then refrigerate until very firm (at least half an hour).

Make the glaze and after it has cooled, pour/spread it over the top of the chilled cake. Refrigerate the cake again to set the glaze.

Serve the cake slightly chilled.