Chocolate Mousse Cake

Today I abit sad... due to certain reason, I dun wish to talk about it so since today is Easter Day. I decide to make chocolate mousse cake as it also keeps me busy for aday to prevent me from thinking certain things...

For this i found the website from http://www.marthastewart.com/

Here is the recipe:

Vegetable-oil cooking spray
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
2/3 cup sugar
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 large egg, room temperature
¼ cup whole milk
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 ounces solid semisweet chocolate


1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Place eight 6-ounce (3 1/2-inch diameter) ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet, and coat with cooking spray; set aside.

2. Stir flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer. Attach bowl to mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add egg, milk, oil, vanilla, and 1/4 cup water; mix on medium-low speed until smooth and combined, about 3 minutes.

3. Divide batter evenly among prepared ramekins. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely. Run a knife around sides of cakes; unmold. Cakes can be refrigerated, wrapped in plastic, up to 1 day.

4. Trim each cake to 1 inch high. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cut eight 10 3/4-by-4-inch strips of parchment paper. Wrap a parchment collar around base of each cake, keeping bottom flush with baking sheet. Secure each collar with tape; set aside.

5. Transfer bittersweet-chocolate mousse to a large pastry bag fitted with a large round tip (such as Ateco #808). Pipe a 1-inch layer of mousse into each parchment collar. Refrigerate until mousse is set, about 20 minutes. Repeat with milk chocolate mousse, piping on top of the bittersweet chocolate mousse. Refrigerate at least 4 hours and up to overnight.

6. Microwave semisweet chocolate until slightly warm but not melted, about 30 seconds. Scrape at a 45-degree angle with a vegetable peeler, forming curls. Before serving cakes, remove parchment collars, and garnish with chocolate curls.

Here is the recipe for the individual mousse:

This recipe makes two kinds of mousse: bittersweet chocolate and milk chocolate.

3 1/3 cups heavy cream
8 large egg yolks, room temperature
½ cup sugar
¼ cup light corn syrup
7 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Salt
7 ounces milk chocolate, melted


1. Put 1 2/3 cups cream into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; beat on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about 3 1/2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; refrigerate 1 hour.

2.Put 4 egg yolks into the clean bowl of the mixer fitted with the clean whisk attachment; beat on high speed until pale and frothy, 4 to 5 minutes. Meanwhile, bring 1/4 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons corn syrup, and 2 tablespoons water to a rolling boil in a small, heavy saucepan over high heat. Cook until clear, large bubbles form, about 1 minute. Reduce mixer speed to medium-low. Carefully pour hot syrup down side of bowl. Raise speed to medium-high. Mix until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in bittersweet chocolate, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and a pinch of salt with a rubber spatula.

3.Add one-third of bittersweet-chocolate mixture to whipped cream; whisk to combine. Add remaining bittersweet-chocolate mixture, whisking until completely combined. Press through a large-mesh sieve into a large bowl; discard any solids. Repeat entire recipe, substituting milk chocolate for the bittersweet.

Chocolate Mousse Cake

Due to some difficulties I have faced, I reduce into 2 sections...hopefully i can retry again when I free.

Fruit tarts

Here is my next recipe that i have source throughout the internet and found it...quite simple to make and I have also modify abit using my creative...haha

Here is the recipe:

Crust:
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened and sliced

Filling:
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping:
Grape and peach (slices)

Glaze:
1 (6 ounce) can frozen limeade concentrate, thawed
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 cup granulated sugar

1.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2.For the crust: In a food processor, combine the confectioners' sugar, flour, and butter, and process until the mixture forms a ball. (well, i didn't have food processor at that time so mostly using my bare hands do to it. It was a hard time for me to train my arm power.)

This is the look how the dough is

3.With your fingers, press the dough into a 12-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, taking care to push the crust into the indentations in the sides. (due to some modification. I didn't use a 12-inch tart pan whereby i can to small cup cake tart mould to make small tart crust)

4.Pat until the crust is even. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until very lightly browned. Set aside to cool.

this is how i modify the crust into small size

5.For the filling and topping: Beat the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla together until smooth. Spread over the cooled crust.

Okay this is the filling...seems abit too milky?

6.Sliced the peach and grape and arrange on top in the center of the tart.

7.For the glaze: Combine the limeade, cornstarch, lime juice, and sugar in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until clear and thick, about 2 minutes. Let cool. With a pastry brush, glaze the entire tart. You will not use all of the glaze.

8.Keep the tart in the refrigerator. Remove about 15 minutes before serving. Best serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

Final product: The fruit tart...Nice isn't it?

Portuguese Egg tart

Alright this is my first time doing dessert stuffs. Never train in any bakery stuff in my life. Neither have studied any Home Econs during my secondary school. But thats my interest...I like to cook and bake...why? May be in future I hope to cook and bake nice and delicious dishes and desserts for my wife and family.

Well, back to start... I have try out doing the Portuguese Egg tart for twice and seems the second time abit fail due to the eagerness...haha I had been searching the internet for egg tart recipes and finally settled on one from a Hong Kong website.

Now here is the recipe:

Pastry A:
2 ½ cup flour (low gluten)
1 tbsp milk powder

Pastry B:
2 tbsp shortening
¼ tsp salt
1 egg
approximately 1/3 cup ice water

¾ cup butter

Filling:
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup milk
¼ cup whipping cream
3 egg yolks

1. Sift A into a mixing bowl, add ingredients B and mix until it forms into a smooth ball. Chill in fridge for 30 minutes.

2. Bring butter to room temp, and cut into slices approximately 3mm thick.

3. Roll dough out into a big rectangle and arrange butter pieces on half of the dough, fold dough over to cover the butter pieces, press with hands and then roll out with rolling pin. Sprinkle top with flour, cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes. (for this i have a hard time cause the butter spill out due too much force when i roll...haha! sweat like hell...)

4. Turn dough a quarter turn, fold into threes (like a letter) and roll out. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes. Repeat this 3 or 4 times. (well, i think i only do couple of times coz having trouble with the butter mess that i have create and i keep adding some more flour. It helps...haha!)

5. Finally, roll the dough out into a large rectangle and fold onto itself like a jelly-roll. Let it rest in the fridge for about 30 minutes. (jelly-roll? haha use imagination looks like a swiss roll)

6. Meanwhile, prepare tart filling by boiling the cream and milk gently and add the sugar to dissolve. Let cool slightly and add little by little into beaten egg yolks.

7. Strain through a tea strainer. (I skip this this step coz i couldn't find my tea strainer...wonder where my dad keep it...so fustrated finding it...)

8. Preheat oven to 200F. Butter and flour a six-cup muffin pan.

9. Cut six 1cm thick slices from the rolled up dough (about 1 ounce each). Store the rest of the dough in fridge or freezer for later use.

10. Wet your fingers with cold water and shape each slice into a disc big enough to line a muffin cup.

11. Line the muffin cups and fill with egg mixture about ¾ full (about 2 tbsp per muffin cup)

12. Bake at 200C (400F) for 15-20 minutes, until brown spots appear on the surface of the filling.

13. Cool slightly on rack before removing.

14. Eat one right away to enjoy the flaky crust and the piping hot custard filling.

This is my first time baking the Portuguese Egg tart...

Well this is the second time i bake it...well as you can see its abit overcook. Anyway i will try again in sometime.

My Food and Dessert Blog

Wow...This is my second blog page as I decide to create it mainly for food and dessert that I have cook and make. I also will share the recipes that I have prepare it. So do wait for the upcoming new recipes that I have try out...

Anyway for those who interested to know more please keep a look out on it...anytime i will update a post on... Cheers!

Hope that i can produce good N delicious food for my friends and family...