Oreo Cheesecake

For the first time, I have finished my Daring Baker's challenge one week earlier than my usual rush towards the last day. I am excited because this month is all about my all time favorite, cheesecake! Yes, I have been waiting for this opportunity and not only did I bake one but two to cater to two favorite customers of My Kitchen -- Oreo cheesecake for my ever so-cute-sweet-tooth son, EJ, and Bailey's (Irish Cream) cheesecake for my hardworking colleagues in the office for a well deserved coffee break (see my Facebook post, http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/note.php?note_id=168847400021&id=1439957290&ref=mf).

This month's challenge is simple yet creative. The only requirement is to use the basic cheesecake recipe given and you are free to create your own flavor variations.

The April 2009 challenge is hosted by Jenny from Jenny Bakes. She has chosen Abbey's Infamous Cheesecake as the challenge.

Abbey's Infamous Cheesecake:

Crust:
2 cups / 180 g graham cracker crumbs
1 stick / 4 oz butter, melted
2 tbsp. / 24 g sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

For the crust, I chose to use oatmeal cookies instead of the usual Graham crackers. I also added instant rolled oats to add texture to the base. I also did not add anymore sugar since the biscuit is already sweet to my taste. After combining all the ingredients and pressing together to form the crust, i baked this for 5-7 minutes at 180C.

Cheesecake:
3 sticks of cream cheese, 8 oz each (total of 24 oz) room temperature
1 cup / 210 g sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup / 8 oz heavy cream
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. vanilla extract (or the innards of a vanilla bean)
1 tbsp liqueur, optional, but choose what will work well with your cheesecake

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (Gas Mark 4 = 180C = Moderate heat). Begin to boil a large pot of water for the water bath.

2. Mix together the crust ingredients and press into your preferred pan. You can press the crust just into the bottom, or up the sides of the pan too - baker's choice. Set crust aside.

3. Combine cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of a stand-mixer (or in a large bowl if using a hand-mixer) and cream together until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. Make sure to scrape down the bowl in between each egg. Add heavy cream, vanilla, lemon juice, and alcohol and blend until smooth and creamy.

4. Pour batter into prepared crust and tap the pan on the counter a few times to bring all air bubbles to the surface. Place pan into a larger pan and pour boiling water into the larger pan until halfway up the side of the cheesecake pan. If cheesecake pan is not airtight, cover bottom securely with foil before adding water.

5. Bake 45 to 55 minutes, until it is almost done - this can be hard to judge, but you're looking for the cake to hold together, but still have a lot of jiggle to it in the center. You don't want it to be completely firm at this stage. Close the oven door, turn the heat off, and let rest in the cooling oven for one hour. This lets the cake finish cooking and cool down gently enough so that it won't crack on the top. After one hour, remove cheesecake from oven and lift carefully out of water bath. Let it finish cooling on the counter, and then cover and put in the fridge to chill. Once fully chilled, it is ready to serve.

Now for my love of EJ, I thought of making something that will delight his chocolate craving. I added c(Kraft) Oreo cream cookies to the cheesecake batter. Since Oreo cookies are sandwhiched by a cream filling, I separated the choco biscuit from the other side with the cream filling. I the chopped the ones with the cream filling, just small enough that it can blend smoothly with the batter. I placed the chocolate side of the biscuit in a ziploc bag, finely crushed the biscuits, and spread it as garnishing on top of the cheesecake.

The result is a big hit at home; the sweetness is just nice, and the chocolate texture of the Oreo cookies makes this a favorite among children.

DB March '09 Challenge: Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna

This will be one of those "first time" claims I would make in my lifetime. This month's Daring Baker's challenge will be my first time to make pasta to complete a lasagne recipe. Interestingly, the pasta recipe includes spinach which is not my cup of tea. I grew up knowing pasta synonymous to spaghetti noodles;it is only in my working years that I got introduced to the different shapes and then now, adding a vegetable to the traditional flour+egg noodles.

The March 2009 challenge is hosted by Mary of Beans and Caviar, Melinda of Melbourne Larder and Enza of Io Da Grande. They have chosen Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna from The Splendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper as the challenge.

Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna (Lasagne Verdi al Forno)
(Serves 8 to 10 as a first course, 6 to 8 as a main dish)

Preparation Time: 15 minutes to assemble and 40 minutes cooking time

10 quarts (9 litres) salted water
1 recipe Spinach Pasta cut for lasagna (recipe follows)#1
1 recipe Bechamel Sauce (recipe follows)#2
1 recipe Country Style Ragu (recipe follows)#3
1 cup (4 ounces/125g) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Hand making the Pasta Verde is the main event for this month's challenge. The white bechamel sauce and meat ragu sauce completes the baked lasagne dish. I actually used some leftover chicken bolognese sauce for my final dish instead of the ragu sauce.

#1 Spinach Egg Pasta (Pasta Verde)

Preparation: 45 minutes

Makes enough for 6 to 8 first course servings or 4 to 6 main course servings, equivalent to 1 pound (450g) dried boxed pasta.

2 jumbo eggs (2 ounces/60g or more)
10 ounces (300g) fresh spinach, rinsed dry, and finely chopped; or 6 ounces (170g) frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
3&1/2 cups (14 ounces/400g) all purpose unbleached (plain) flour (organic stone ground preferred)

Here are some of the steps I've done to make the pasta:

(1) Combine the flour, egg, and spinach. Make a hollow towards the center. Mix the egg and spinach using a wooden spoon and slowly mix the flour towards the center;


(2) Knead the dough for at least 3 minutes until it is smooth and elastic. Add a few tbs of flour if it gets too sticky and continue to knead. Wrap the dough in a plastic wrap and let the dough rest under room temperature between 1 to 3 hours.

(3) Cut the dough into quarters and start stretching and thinning using a wooden rolling pin. I am actually glad that I had a very elastic dough, somehow, it was easy for me to shape the dough into thin sheets like the one below.
In this recipe, there is so much importance highlighted that the pasta should be thin. Here my mother-in-law was holding the pasta and you can tell how translucent this pasta is, you can see her hands behind the sheet.
(4) Cut the pasta sheet into desired length and width. I based my size on the baking dish I will use later. The right sheets for me is roughly 8 cm x 16 cm. Hang it dry at least 1 hour before cooking.

#2 Bechamel sauce

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

4 tablespoons (2 ounces/60g) unsalted butter
4 tablespoons (2 ounces/60g) all purpose unbleached (plain) flour, organic stone ground preferred
2&2/3 cups (approx 570ml) milk
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Freshly grated nutmeg to taste

Using a medium-sized saucepan, melt the butter over low to medium heat. Sift over the flour, whisk until smooth, and then stir (without stopping) for about 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk a little at a time and keep the mixture smooth. Bring to a slow simmer, and stir 3 to 4 minutes, or until the sauce thickens. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Season with salt, pepper, and a hint of nutmeg.

#3 Country Style Ragu’ (Ragu alla Contadina)

Preparation Time: Ingredient Preparation Time 30 minutes and Cooking time 2 hours

Makes enough sauce for 1 recipe fresh pasta or 1 pound/450g dried pasta)

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (45 mL)
2 ounces/60g pancetta, finely chopped
1 medium onion, minced
1 medium stalk celery with leaves, minced
1 small carrot, minced
4 ounces/125g boneless veal shoulder or round
4 ounces/125g pork loin, trimmed of fat, or 4 ounces/125g mild Italian sausage (made without fennel)
8 ounces/250g beef skirt steak, hanging tender, or boneless chuck blade or chuck center cut (in order of preference)
1 ounce/30g thinly sliced Prosciutto di Parma
2/3 cup (5 ounces/160ml) dry red wine
1 &1/2 cups (12 ounces/375ml) chicken or beef stock (homemade if possible)
2 cups (16 ounces/500ml) milk
3 canned plum tomatoes, drained
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Working Ahead:
The ragu can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate. It also freezes well for up to 1 month. Skim the fat from the ragu’ before using it.

Browning the Ragu Base:
Heat the olive oil in a 12 inch (30cm) skillet (frying pan) over medium-high heat. Have a large saucepan handy to use once browning is complete. Add the pancetta and minced vegetables and sauté, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, 10 minutes, or until the onions barely begin to color. Coarsely grind all the meats together, including the prosciutto, in a food processor or meat grinder. Stir into the pan and slowly brown over medium heat. First the meats will give off a liquid and turn dull grey but, as the liquid evaporates, browning will begin. Stir often, scooping under the meats with the wooden spatula. Protect the brown glaze forming on the bottom of the pan by turning the heat down. Cook 15 minutes, or until the meats are a deep brown. Turn the contents of the skillet into a strainer and shake out the fat. Turn them into the saucepan and set over medium heat.

Reducing and Simmering: Add the wine to the skillet, lowering the heat so the sauce bubbles quietly. Stir occasionally until the wine has reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Scrape up the brown glaze as the wine bubbles. Then pour the reduced wine into the saucepan and set the skillet aside.

Stir ½ cup stock into the saucepan and let it bubble slowly, 10 minutes, or until totally evaporated. Repeat with another ½ cup stock. Stir in the last 1/2 cup stock along with the milk. Adjust heat so the liquid bubbles very slowly. Partially cover the pot, and cook 1 hour. Stir frequently to check for sticking.

Add the tomatoes, crushing them as they go into the pot. Cook uncovered, at a very slow bubble for another 45 minutes, or until the sauce resembles a thick, meaty stew. Season with salt and pepper.


As for the meat sauce, I actually used ready made chicken bolognese from one of my favorite gourmet store. The sauce is mainly tomato based,mixed with minced chicken, onion, garlic, olive oil, flour, and some seasoning. I am reserving to use the ragu sauce recipe for my second try of Lasagne Verdi Al Forno.

Here are the two sauces side by side:



Here's the assembly of the final dish before baking at 180C for 30-40minutes.



Overall, my verdict for the outcome of this recipe is, super pasta delicious! It was a lot of muscle work to make the pasta but it was well worth it. I surely will do this again and maybe, experiment with other pasta forms and sauces.

Easy Hummus Dip

Hummus is a dip that is made from chickpeas. My 3 year-old son's teacher highly recommends this as a healthy snack in school. After doing some quick Google, I now understand why this is so. Hummus is high in iron and vitamin C, and also has significant amounts of folate and vitamin B6. The chickpeas make it a good source of protein and dietary fiber. No wonder, Hummus is one of the oldest foods dating back to ancient Egypt some 7000 years ago.

The thought of making this dip never crossed my mind until I brought home a handy Braun Multiquick food processor (Multiquick MR 600). I am especially proud that I work for a company that makes high quality products like Braun appliances. I am just excited to use this amazing machine for blending, chopping nuts, pureeing, and that now, includes making hummus in my own kitchen.

Going back to our main subject, making Hummus is one easy task (especially again with my amazing Braun processor:-). For this recipe I used, 125 g of (canned) chickpeas, 57 g of tahini, 2 tbs of lemon (you can add according to your taste), 2 tbs of olive oil, 3 pcs garlic, minced ( you can increase the garlic to your taste) and a dash of salt.

The steps are simple. First blend the chickpeas and the tahini until most of the chickpeas have been disintegrated. Add the garlic, the olive oil, and the lemon juice and some salt to taste. Blend all ingredients together until smooth and it forms a paste. You can add some of the liquid from the canned chickpeas if the paste gets too thick. Use your judgment in adding liquid; the right dip is not too viscous yet not too runny when you dip your favorite snack.

For a really healthy treat, I paired my fresh Hummus with vegetable sticks. I just found celery and carrots inside the fridge which is just ideal to attract my household to eat vegetables!

Spanish Sardine Pate

If you are my kind who is fond of having bread for breakfast then, this is one great spread that will start your morning right! The good news is, there is no rocket science to this pate, it is just a simple combination of ingredients that could very well be in your fridge today.

For this recipe, I used about 125g of my favorite Spanish sardines (in oil), 1/2 cup of cream cheese (softened), 1 tbsp lemon juice, 2 tbsps of butter, a dash of salt and pepper to taste.

Mash the sardines well (I used fork to do this). Set aside. Soften the cream cheese and beat until smooth. Add the sardines, the butter, the lemon juice and blend. Add a dash of salt and pepper to taste and mix very well until smooth. Use immediately with bread or crackers, otherwise you can also store this in the fridge using an airtight container. I suggest you check the expiry date of the cream cheese as a guide how long you can store.

In my Filipino taste, this is ideal with freshly baked pan de sal and coffee. In the comforts of Singapore, this is just perfect for me with wholegrain bread and coffee. This pate also goes well with crackers, a good appetizer for your guests.

Cooking Paneer with a Filipino Twist

I discovered Paneer in one of my business trips to India and since then, I fell in love with any dish using this white cottage cheese. Paneer is unaged, acid-set, non-melting farmer cheese made by curdling heated milk with lemon juice or other food acid (Wikipedia).

Now, as for the Filipino twist, I added the Paneer cubes to Chicken Adobo; the cottage cheese absorbed the rich sauce from the adobo which provides a good balance overall.

I had always thought making Paneer is no easy task until an office colleague showed me how to make this delicious cheese. I was skeptical at first but true enough, it is really easy to make at home.

In this recipe, I used the popular Filipino white vinegar, "Datu Puti" to trigger the coagulation process. This vinegar is made from sugar cane and has about 4.5% acid strength. As for the fresh milk, I used 2 liters of the Japanese brand, "Meiji" milk. but any fresh milk brand will do however please do not use the low-fat kind. You also need a muslin cloth or any thin cotton cloth to separate the milk solids from the water.

The procedure in making Paneer is relatively simple:

1.) Pour the milk in a saucepan and let it boil. Gradually stir the milk as it warms up to prevent the formation of a thin film at the surface;

2.) Add vinegar 1 tbsp to another until you see the milk coagulating and separating from the water. I used 3 tbsp of white vinegar for this recipe. You can turn off the heat once you see the coagulation process complete. At this point, you will see the milk solids floating and the remaining water slightly yellowish to light green.



3.) Filter the contents of the saucepan using the muslin cloth separating the excess water from the milk solids. When all the water has been drained out, mold it like a rectangular block to shape the milk solids. Put some weight on top to compress the milk solids and also squeeze out any remaining water. Be careful not to compress too long as the Paneer could become hard. I did this for roughly 20minutes.


The whole preparation time took me less than an hour and the yield for a 2liters milk is good enough to serve a family of 6. You can store the Paneer inside the fridge or inside the freezer to last longer. As a personal rule, I always want my ingredients fresh so I encourage using and eating right away.

So far, the most common Paneer dish I find in most Indian restaurants is the Palak Paneer which is mainly mashed spinach cooked with Paneer. I had the privilege to have a live cooking demo of this dish courtesy again of my colleague (Jyotsna, many thanks and I owe you on this one!).


Here's a link to the recipe from Indian Food Forever website. There are also a lot more Paneer Indian recipes in this website which is cool to try! http://www.indianfoodforever.com/vegetables/palak-paneer.html

I also tried using Paneer when I was making a Vietnamese spring roll one day. I used rice paper to contain the spring roll and inside, I added julienned carrots, fresh mint, rice vermicelli, bean spouts, shrimp, and of course Paneer cubes. The result was fantastic!



There is no stopping how many dishes you can use and combine with Paneer. And btw, even without anything too, i find Paneer a great snack to munch and maybe next time, I will experiment on flavoring the milk curd itself.

January Challenge: Making Tuiles

It's the start of 2009 and I am quite pleased with this year's first Daring Bakers challenge, making Tuiles! It's surprisingly easy and very creative! This is one recipe to keep and will be specially fun to mold into different shapes and artistic pieces.

This month's challenge is brought to us by Karen of Bake My Day and Zorra of 1x umruehren bitte aka Kochtopf. They have chosen Tuiles from The Chocolate Book by Angélique Schmeink and Nougatine and Chocolate Tuiles from Michel Roux.

For this month, the rules were: (1) use one of the batter recipes given. In my case, i actually used the recipe from Chef Angelique (2) shape it anyway you like and you can do it before (using a stencil) or right after baking. I actually used a simple pattern to achieve a circle shape before baking, and i molded the Tuile like a serving bowl just right after baking. Lastly, (3) pair it with something light. I paired my Tuile with chocolate and durian ice cream (yum, yum!) and I also rolled an extra piece to munch with the ice cream.

Following is a recipe taken from a book called “The Chocolate Book”, written by female Dutch Master chef Angélique Schmeinck.

Preparation time: batter 10 minutes, waiting time 30 minutes,
Baking time: 5-10 minutes per batch

Ingredients:

65 grams / ¼ cup / 2.3 ounces softened butter (not melted but soft)
60 grams / ½ cup / 2.1 ounces sifted confectioner’s sugar
1 sachet vanilla sugar (7 grams or substitute with a dash of vanilla extract)
2 large egg whites (slightly whisked with a fork)
65 grams / 1/2 cup / 2.3 ounces sifted all purpose flour
1 table spoon cocoa powder/or food coloring of choice
Butter/spray to grease baking sheet

Oven: 180C / 350F

Using a hand whisk or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle (low speed) and cream butter, sugar and vanilla to a paste. Keep stirring while you gradually add the egg whites. Continue to add the flour in small batches and stir to achieve a homogeneous and smooth batter/paste. Be careful to not overmix.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to firm up. (This batter will keep in the fridge for up to a week, take it out 30 minutes before you plan to use it).

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or grease with either butter/spray and chill in the fridge for at least 15 minutes. This will help spread the batter more easily if using a stencil/cardboard template. Press the stencil on the baking sheet and use an off sided spatula to spread batter. Leave some room in between your shapes.

For some decoration, I was planning to make chocolate strips. I realized quite late in the process that i don't have cocoa powder so i used 1 oz of unsweetened chocolate bars melted with a little butter and mixed it with a small part of the Tuile batter, placed it in a piping bag for use later.

Bake the Tuile in a preheated oven (180C/350F) for about 5-10 minutes or until the edges turn golden brown. Immediately release from baking sheet and proceed to shape/bend the cookies in the desired shape. These cookies have to be shaped when still warm, you might want to bake a small amount at a time or maybe put them in the oven to warm them up again.

Check out my lovely assistant in this whole process...

EJ's head can fit into this circle cut out. I used this to shape my batter :-)
In less than 10 minutes, the Tuiles are gone including the ice cream. Success!

Davao Fruits

If there is one thing I pride about my hometown, Davao City, it would be the abundance of tropical fruits. Every visit home would not be complete without a taste of my three favorites, here it is...

Durian, The King of Fruits



A lot of people would shy away from eating this majestic fruit simply because, it smells like rotten cheese! This is the only fruit I find ironic in delicious taste versus it's thorny appearance and strong smell. As for me, 1 seed is already enough to fill my craving but , for my husband, he can eat on and on and on... It takes a true fruit aficionado to appreciate "the King". This particular durian is the "native" type which has a bitter and creamier taste,yum!


The Refreshing Pink Pomelo



Since i started with describing through smell, Davao's pink pomelo is surely a nose pleaser when it comes to the fresh lemon scent that reminds you of drinking lemonade over the hot days of summer. The pink pomelos in Davao is a popular "pasalubong" or gift; you can buy them in wooden crates or boxes on the way to the airport. There are different farms selling this popular fruit; the one good thing is, it is always free to taste so, i normally take advantage and try as much as I can!


The "Marang", a Unique find...



"Marang" (unfortunately i don't know the English name, if there is:-) belongs to the jackfruit family. What is so special about this fruit is, it is abundant only in Mindanao and it is a sweet dessert by itself. Inside, it looks like the giant version of "atis" or sugar-apple. The skin is so soft when ripe and it has a certain smell as well that distinguishes it from other fruits. Just thinking about this fruit reminds of a creamy sugary taste that compliments well with a warm cup of tea, hmmm just so satisfying..

Fish Delicious! @ Lake Sebu

The past Christmas break is a memorable one for me and my family. We had a chance to travel in Mindanao (Philippines) and visited this hidden lake in Sebu, a province of North Cotabato.

The lake is so serene yet surprisingly full of fish! Notice the big fish on the main cottage by the lake -- that is a true icon of the lake's bounty.

Christmas Bread

This is one great bread to serve for Christmas! My mother in law was diligent enough to bake this and made it pretty with mixed dried fruits on top . I planned to post this before leaving Singapore for the Christmas break but obviously, didn't have the time.

This recipe is one of our clippings from an article by Cynthia Low from Singapore's The Straits Times. I'm glad to share this here to have something to remember baking again next Christmas...

Ingredients:
1 sachet dried yeast (14g)
200g mixed dried fruit
3tbs rum or brandy (optional)
400g white bread flour
1/2 tsp salt
50g caster or light brown sugar
85g butter, cut into pieces
250ml milk
1 egg beaten

Lemon Icing:
1 cup icing sugar
2 tsp lemon juice
1tbs butter

For decoration:
Chopped glazed cherries
Mixed nuts

1. Place the yeast in a small bowl with a tsp of caster sugar and about 1/2 cup of warm (not hot) water. Set aside for 15 mins.
2. Put the dried fruit in a bowl and pour over the rum or brandy and leave to soak while you make the dough.
3. Put the flour and salt into a large bowl and stir in the sugar. Rub the butter into the flour mix until it resembles fine bread crumbs.
4. Warm the milk, then mix into the beaten egg. Pour the yeast mixture, warmed milk and egg into the flour mix. Knead the dough until smooth an elastic, adding a little more flour or milk if it is too sticky or dry.
5. Gather the dough into a ball then knead by hand several minutes on a lightly floured surface. Put the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover with cling film and leave until double in size (roughly an hour).
6. Knead the dough a few times more, then roll out to a rectangle about 36cmx15cm. Spread the mixed fruit on the top then loosely roll it up lengthways. From the roll into a circle joining the two ends. Line a flat baking dish with baking paper and lift the circle dough on to it.
7. Using sharp scissors, cut slashes around the outside of the circle. Cover lightly with cling film and leave to rise for 30-45 mins. Heat the oven to 200C.
8. Brush the top with little olive oil and bake for 20-25 mins. When done, cool bread on a wire rack.
9. Make the icing by placing the icing sugar, lemon juice, and butter in a small bowl. Add a tiny amount of boiling water - just enough to soften the butter. Mix until smooth and even consistency for spreading.
10. Spread the icing on the bread and add decorate with glazed cherries, dried mixed peel and nuts on top.