Chocolate Chocolate Chips Loaf

I made this loaf before with different recipe which was yummy, soft and fluffy, but this one below is even softer and fluffier

This recipe I did make before, too - you may view it here

The difference is I baked with breadmaker before and this time I used the machine only to knead and first proofing (about 1hour 30mins - dough function)

After that I took out and rolled the dough flat, sprinkled with choco chips and rolled it away from you like rolling swissroll

Put it on baking tray, second proof til it doubled in size - approximately 30minutes

Eggwash them on top and bake in preheated oven of 180degC for 30minutes

(I sprinkled some colorful chocolate rice on top to excite my kids - it worked *grin*)

I'm submitting this soft, flufy and chocolatey loaf to Aspiring Bakers #8 June'11 Bread Seduction hosted by Jasmine from The Sweetylicious at this LINK

Put

Roasted Garlic Italian Bread

I loved the Crusty Italian Bread so much that I wanted to make it again but this time I envisioned big chunks of roasted garlic inside. I made this loaf to take to a friends house for dinner and I was excited to see if it turned out like I had envisioned. It turned out better. Each and every slice had at least 1 chunk of roasted garlic in it and the entire loaf had a lovely roasted garlic flavor. It was a huge hit with my friends and my family... I literally could have eaten just this bread for dinner. I can't wait to make this one again.

Roasted Garlic Italian Bread:

Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net

• 2/3 cup of warm water
• 3/4 tsp olive oil
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp brown sugar
• 2 cups of flour
• 1 1/8 tsp yeast
• 2 heads of roasted garlic
• Cornmeal
• 1 egg + 1 tbsp water

Place the water,olive oil, salt, brown sugar, flour, and yeast into a bread machine pan in that order. Turn the bread machine to the dough setting and push start.

Prepare the roasted garlic (click for instructions) while the dough is in the bread maker.

Once the dough cycle has completed (mine lasts 1 1/2 hours). Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a rectangle then place the roasted garlic cloves all over the dough.

Roll up jelly roll style and pinch the seam closed very well. Place the loaf onto a silpat mat that has been sprinkled with cornmeal.

Cover with a cloth and let rise, until doubled in size, about 40 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Combine the egg with the water and beat until thoroughly mixed. Brush the egg mixture on the top of the loaf. Carefully slice a long single cut down the center of the loaf with a very sharp knife. Place the silpat mat onto a baking sheet.

Place into the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes or golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. Cool on a rack before slicing. Enjoy!

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - For the Love of Cooking.net

Chocolate Chocolate Chips Buttermilk Pancakes

Now that it's school holiday time, the kids have more time to have breakfast
This is just a twist I made for the usual pancake... I added cocoa powder and chocolate emulco
Recipe is from Martha Stewart
This is a good recipe that makes fluffy and soft pancake, but I should have made it thicker in order to taste more of the fluffiness, but still no complain, it's delicious

What you need:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3 tbsp sugar

2 tsps cocoa powder

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

3 cups buttermilk

4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

2 tsps chocolate emulco

some chocolate chips to sprinkle

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cocoa powder and sugar in a medium bowl. Add eggs, buttermilk, chocolate emulco and butter; whisk to combine. Batter should have small to medium lumps (it should be that way, not smooth)

Pour 1/2 cup of pancake batter. Sprinkle chocolate chips. When pancakes have bubbles on top and are slightly dry around edges, about 2 1/2 minutes, flip over. Cook until golden on bottom, about 1 minute

Serve with maple syrup or chocolate syrup

I'm submitting these pancakes to Aspiring Bakers #7 – Chocolate Delight (May 2011) hosted by DG from Tested & Tasted at this LINK

Roasted Tomato Caprese Salad

I needed to make a dish to take to a friends house for dinner so I decided to do a caprese salad. Instead of using plain raw tomatoes I decided to roast them. I drizzled really good balsamic vinegar over the tomatoes before plating them with the mozzarella and basil. It was SO DELICIOUS!! I don't think I will make a caprese salad any other way ever again. Simple, quick, beautiful, and delectable!

Roasted Tomato Caprese Salad:

Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net

• Olive oil
• 10 small vine ripened tomatoes, halved and seeded
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• Really good balsamic vinegar
• Fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
• Fresh basil, chiffonade

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with tin foil then coat it with cooking spray.

Slice the tomatoes in half then spoon out the seeds. Place the tomatoes on the prepared baking sheet then drizzle the tomatoes with a bit of olive oil and season them with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Place the tomatoes into the oven and roast them for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and drizzle with a good balsamic vinegar. Set aside to cool.

Once the tomatoes have cooled, alternate them with the mozzarella cheese in spiral on the serving platter, overlapping them for a nicer appearance. Sprinkle the top with fresh basil. Serve and enjoy.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - For the Love of Cooking.net

Homemade Tiramisu & New York New York Family Restaurant @Citylink On Our 7th Wedding Anniversary

Some cakes I only make for special occassions - tiramisu is one of them
Yesterday was our 7th wedding anniversary - it's time to make this fave dessert of ours! :)
I did on Saturday evening, kept it refrigerated with no cocoa topping

Recipe's from Aunty Yochana's site

My 2nd time making this with the same recipe - love it!

(for tall square 7" tray)

What you need:

2 packs of sponge fingers

For the filling:

2 egg yolks

1 egg

60g sugar

10g gelatine powder

2 tbsp water

250g mascarpone cheese

200g whipped cream

3 tbsp kahlua

For the coffee syrup:

15g coffee powder

200g warm water

4 tbsp kahlua

Whisk whipped cream til stiff and white (I used mixer) - set aside

Soak gelatine powder in 2 tbsp water - for around 10mins, and then microwave for 25minutes

Whisk egg yolks, egg, sugar on a pot of simmering water - cool to room temperature

Add in mascarpone cheese - mix lightly (do not overmix otherwise it will be coarse)

Fold in whipped cream, add in kahlua and gelatin mixture

Soak each sponge fingers into coffee syrup, arange them in the tray, top up with filling, followed by another layer of soaked sponge fingers, another layer of filling, third layer of soaked sponge fingers, and the last 3rd layer of filling on top

Chill to set for at least 3 hours

Sieve cocoa powder on top for decoration before serving

Now, if you read the recipe and see the pics above, it's just doesn't tally
The recipe mentioned THREE layers of sponge fingers and mascarpone filling, while mine was only two
What happened was, when I was about to arrange the sponge fingers, I realized that I don't have tall 7" square tray, what I have is the low one, which I didn't think can support the tall tiramisu
(it's the 'act smart' me whom never learns from experience to do thorough homework first before each plan of cooking and baking *sigh*)
I wanted to use heart shape tall tray that I have, but it could be a headache to arrange the sponge fingers, so I decided to use my tall 9" square tray
As expected, I had to be extra cautious with the amount of filling that I made, so this is what I had - short tiramisu - two layers of sponge fingers and filling each :P

Anyway... it's forgiven once my teeth sank on it - this tiramisu dessert is extremely yummy and rich, full of coffee aroma and of course, kahlua - no kids allowed :P

I & hubby ate it after they fell asleep last night - just couldn't stop eating it *slurp*

We had lunch yesterday at New York New York family restaurant at Citylink - we had fun, nice food, nice ambience and the kids loved it :)

What we ordered....(taken with my old pocket camera :P)

The platter - hubby's choice

All deep fried calamari, drumstick, mushroom and fries - gosh! Not too friendly to throat and waistline! But it's good! :)

My fave - breaded white button mushrooms - crispy on the outside, juicy inside - yum! Even good to eat on its own without the sauce, but if have to use it, it's gotta be the white ranch sauce

Fried (again!) chicken fillet topped with melt mozzarella with (more) fries and green salad in creamy balsamic vinegar dressing

See the fillet after cut - delicious!

For the kids: (this pic taken after cut and transferred to the kids' plates)

Spaghetti alfredo with mushroom and crispy fish - perfect al dente spaghetti soaked in wonderful creamy sauce, the fish chunk is a surprise - it's big!



Overall, it's a nice experience that we had in this restaurant, good service, with free cotton candy for the kids - not bad at all - definitely will go back there again to try their other menu :P

Last but not least, happy anniversary to my dear baby hubby, seven years we've been together, thru the good and not so good times, from two of us becomes four, many more great times ahead, til death do us apart and most importantly, let God be the head of our family - always! Love ya! *hugs and kisses*

Spicy Herbed Egg, Tomato, and Bacon Biscuit Sandwich

Yum, yum, yum. That's all I can think while typing this post. We had leftover biscuits and bacon from breakfast recently so I decided to use them to make an egg sandwich for lunch. I sprinkled the egg with some cayenne pepper, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper then added a bit of fresh chives and thyme. I loved the flavor of the herbs on the spicy egg with the salty bacon and the fresh tomato on the soft biscuit. Truly a delicious sandwich for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Spicy Herbed Egg, Tomato, and Bacon Biscuit Sandwich:

Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net

• Cooking spray
• 1 egg
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• Pinch of fresh chives, chopped
• Pinch of fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tbsp water
• 1 piece of bacon, cooked
• 3 small slices of tomato (or 1 large slice)
• 1 biscuit, cooked

Heat the cooking spray in a small skillet over medium heat. Crack the egg into the pan and season with cayenne, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Sprinkle the chopped chives and thyme leaves over the egg. Once the white of the egg is no longer transparent, add the water to the pan and cover with a lid. Cook for about 1 minute or until the yolk is clouded over but still soft. Don't over cook or the yolk will be hard.

Layer the biscuit with the bacon, egg, and tomato slices. Serve immediately. Enjoy.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - For the Love of Cooking.net

My First Swiss Roll

I have been always such a failure if comes to swiss roll
The problems are....folding in melted butter to the batter and rolling the cake
I have never folded in melted butter perfectly, there's always some leftover at the bottom of the mixing bowl when I poured the batter in the baking pan, it's all floating on top of the cake - resulted in patchy cake, there are wet patches here and there *sigh*
Secondly - the most crucial one, is my way of rolling the cake, somehow instead of turning to rounded cake, I got a squarish one - I guess I just don't have the basic technique knowledge as yet

I have been wanting to try the step by step in making swiss roll in Ricke's blog but still have no courage as yet, but finally I did today
She has 2 different recipes, I chose the simpler one as first timer

For first time trial, I was really pleased with the result

With cheese filling

With chocolate rice filling



If you notice the pics above, the cake with chocolate rice filling is thicker than the one with cheese filling

It's because the recipe is suitable for big square pan - 30 x 30 x 4cm which I don't have, so I split the batter into 2, I used smaller square pans - 21 x 21 x 4cm

I guess I must have split unevenly - the one with chocolate rice filling must be the one with more batter in the pan - made thicker cake :P

Anyhow, this cake is very soft and fluffy, taste yummy!

The next time I will try her other recipe which uses more eggs :)

What you need:

(adapted from Ricke's site)

for (1) 30x30x4cm square pan OR (2) 22x22x4cm square pans

What you need:

6 eggs

90g caster sugar

1 tbsp ovalette

70g plain flour, sieve together with 10g cornflour and 10g milk powder

1 tsp vanilla essence

125g butter, melted and cooled

Preheat oven to 200degC

Grease pan(s) with butter, arrange parchment paper on top and grease again on top of the paper

In a mixing bowl, beat on high speed eggs, sugar, ovalette, flour mixture and vanilla essence together til white, thick and creamy (ribbon stage)

Fold in butter til well mixed

Pour batter on the pan, bake for approximately 12minutes (til golden brown and it's not sticky when touched, but not too dry either - dry cake will have problem during rolling)

After taking it out from the oven, immediately take out the cake of the pan, leave to cool on cooling rack(surface up)

After it's completely cooled, place the cake on parchment paper, spread butter cream and cheese/chocolate rice or whichever filling you prefer, and roll the cake using the parchment paper

Please view the link above for the step by step instruction on rolling the cake (the blog is in Indonesian language though but with pictures too :P)

The next time I make swiss roll, not only trying on her other recipe, but I'll try to make pattern too :P

Btw, I apologize if I still can not reply all comments in my previous postings...I still can't comment in my own blog! Occasionally I can, also to post comments in other's blog but not long before it's back to the problem again *haizzzz*
Please Mr. Blogger....when will this interrupted service be over?????? :(

Artichoke Bruschetta

I recently made a French Baguette and decided to make a fun dinner of Greek Bruschetta and this artichoke bruschetta for my kids and I. I loved the marinated artichokes with fresh basil, grape tomatoes, and Parmesan cheese on the crispy baguette - the combination was fantastic! Simple, quick, and tasty... my kind of dinner.

Artichoke Bruschetta:

Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net

• 12 oz jar of marinated artichoke hearts, diced
• Handful of grape tomatoes, diced
• 1 tbsp Parmesan cheese, shredded
• 3 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• French baguette, sliced thinly
• 1 clove of garlic

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the artichoke hearts, grape tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, basil, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Mix the ingredients until well combined.

Place the baguette slices on a baking sheet and place into the oven. Bake for 3-4 minutes until slightly crisp. Remove the bread from the oven and rub the garlic clove over each slice. Top with the artichoke heart mixture and eat immediately. Enjoy.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - For the Love of Cooking.net

Greek Bruschetta

My husband was out of town last weekend so my kids and I were on our own. We rented movies after playing in the park on Friday afternoon and came home to a house smelled of freshly baked bread. I decided to do a fun dinner for us using the French Baguette I baked earlier in the day. I made two different types of bruschetta (I will post the other one tomorrow). We had a nice evening eating with our hands and watching movies. It was a great night with my kiddos.

Greek Bruschetta:

Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net

• Handful of grape tomatoes, diced
• Handful of kalamata olives, diced
• 1 tbsp toasted pine nuts
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 tbsp feta cheese
• Dash of oregano
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• French baguette, sliced
• 1 clove of garlic

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the tomatoes, kalamata olives, pine nuts, parsley, feta cheese, oregano, sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Mix the ingredients until well combined.

Place the baguette slices on a baking sheet and place into the oven. Bake for 3-4 minutes until slightly crisp. Remove the bread from the oven and rub the garlic clove over each slice. Top with the tomato mixture and eat immediately. Enjoy.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - For the Love of Cooking.net

Victoria Chocolate Pudding Cake

This recipe is from an Indonesian magazine years ago
My mum kept the torn pages til it's yellowish!
She baked this cake so many times, we all loved it so much!
This is my first time baking it myself - so happy it turned out well
It's not difficult, I must say :)

You see my teeth mark on the pudding? *grin*

This how it looked like before pouring the pudding (left) and after the pudding is set - ready to cut (right)

What you need:
(below is half recipe - I used 8" round pan)

For the cake:
162.5g butter
162.5g icing sugar
4 egg yolks
3.5 egg whites
162.5g plain flour
3/4 tsp baking powder - sieved together with the flour

Beat butter and icing sugar til thick, creamy and white color
Add in eggs one at a time while continuously beating in low speed til well mixed
Add in flour+baking powder - mix well
Pour the batter on a lightly greased and floured 8" round pan
Bake in preheated oven of 180degC for 20-25minutes (til golden brown and when skewer comes out clean)
Let cool on cooling rack - still in the pan
After it's completely cooled, using clean chopstick, make holes at the cake - depth approx 4cm, distance approx 2cm

For the pudding:
750ml fresh milk
15g agar2 powder
115g sugar
20g cocoa powder - dilute in a little water
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten

In a pot, heat milk and agar2 powder til boiling
Add in cocoa powder that has been diluted with water - mix well
Take the pot off the fire
Add in egg yolk - mix well
Put back the pot on low fire, stir continuously
After cooked, take the pot off the fire

Let the pudding cool a little (around 5minutes) - stir occasionally
Pour the pudding on the cake - slowly, start from the centre - it will flow to all directions
Fill in those areas which not covered yet
Wait til the pudding set before loosen the pan

Yum! One more cake loved by my kids - both of them :)

I'm submitting this pudding cake to Aspiring Bakers #7 – Chocolate Delight (May 2011) hosted by DG from Tested & Tasted at this LINK

French Baguette

I was in the mood for fresh bread so I baked a French baguette. The bread was super easy to make (thanks to my bread machine) and it smelled perfectly delicious while baking in the oven. I have a feeling I will be using this recipe again and again.

French Baguette:

Adapted recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net

Original recipe by Allrecipes.com

• 1/2 cup of warm water
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp white sugar
• 1 1/4 cups of flour
• 3/4 tsp bread machine yeast
• Corn meal
• 1 egg + 2 tsp water, mixed

Place the water, salt, white sugar, flour, and yeast into a bread machine pan in that order. Turn the bread machine to the dough setting and push start.

Once the dough cycle has completed (mine lasts 1 1/2 hours). Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a rectangle then fold in half and seal the seam firmly with the side of your hand. Roll up dough jelly roll style very tightly and pinch the seam closed really well. Place the loaf onto a silpat mat that has been sprinkled with cornmeal. Cover with a cloth and let rise, until doubled in size, about 40 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Combine the egg with the water and beat until thoroughly mixed. Brush the egg mixture on the top of the loaf. Carefully slice three diagonal slits across the loaf with a very sharp knife. Place the silpat mat onto a baking sheet.

Place into the oven and bake for 17-22 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let it cool on a rack before slicing and serving.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - For the Love of Cooking.net

($20 Budget Meal) Steamed Stuffed Tofu, Scrambled Eggs With Sausages, Stir Fry Enoki Mushroom With Greens

What happened to blogger today???

Everything is fine EXCEPT that I can't reply all comments in my own postings - even til now!
After I typed my reply, it's always back to the instruction for me to sign in, and after I did follow - I signed in again, it's shown my reply as from anonymous instead of my name, and when I wanted to post it anyway, it's back to the instruction for me to sign in again...that vicious circle again and again with no solution - the point is I can't post comment in my own blog *SIGH*
But other things like commenting other blogs, creating new post, editing post, etc...all are fine!
Anybody experiencing the same as me??? It's so frustrating! HELP!!!!!!

Anyway, for today's cooking, I have this great dish combo I'd like to share....

                                            Steamed stuffed tofu

Scrambled eggs with sausages

Stir fry enoki mushroom with greens



Recipe for the above dishes can be viewed here:

Steamed stuffed tofu = HERE

Scrambled eggs with sausages = HERE

Stir fry enoki mushroom with greens = HERE

Calculation:

Steamed tofu:

* 1 box silken tofu = 90cents

* 15 medium prawns = $3

* 1/2 medium chicken breast = $1

* others approximately $2

Total = $6.90

Scrambled eggs:

* 4 frozen sausages = $1

* 4 eggs = $1

* others approx 50cents

Total = $2.50

Stir fry mushroom:

* 1 pack xiao ba chai = 90cents

* 2 packs enoki mushrooms = $1.80

* others approximately 50cents

Total = $3.20

Total amount for the 3 dishes = $12.60

(for family of 4)

I'm sharing this post to “May $20 Budget Meal - Specific Ingredient is "Tofu/Beancurd"” at this LINK

I am submitting this post to [June $20 Budget Meal - Noodle] host by Ellena of Cuisine Paradise at this Link HERE.

Turkey Italian Sausage and Cheese Tortellini Soup and GIVEAWAY WINNER

Since it was a cold and rainy day today I decided to make a big pot of soup. The Italian sausage really gave the soup a nice flavor and made the broth extra rich and delicious. I loved the combination of flavors and textures in this soup. I think this may be one of my new favorite soups... it was so good!

Turkey Italian Sausage and Cheese Tortellini Soup:

Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net

• 1-2 tsp olive oil
• 5 turkey Italian sausages, removed from casing and formed into small balls
• 1 small onion, diced
• 4 stalks of celery, diced
• 4-5 carrots, peeled and diced
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• 9 oz package of cheese tortellini
• 8 cups of chicken broth
• 2 cups baby spinach
• 1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Remove the turkey Italian sausage from casings and pinch off little pieces and roll into small balls. Repeat with the remaining sausage. Place the balls into the Dutch oven and cook, stirring often to prevent sticking, for 1-2 minutes. Remove the balls to a bowl, set aside. Add a bit more olive oil to the Dutch oven if needed then add the onion, celery, and carrots. Cook, stirring often, making sure to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, for 3-4 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the chicken broth and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the turkey Italian sausage balls and their juices to the soup as well as the cheese tortellini. Cook for 10 minutes then add the spinach and basil. Taste and re-season if needed. Serve immediately. Enjoy.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - For the Love of Cooking.net

GIVEAWAY WINNER:

The winner of the 8" pro series chef knife with hollow ground edge by Ergo Chef is number 72:

Michelle said...

The recipe looks amazing...can't wait to try it! The giveaway is just as amazing! Absolutely love your blog...it's my favorite!

May 20, 2011 4:59 AM

Congratulations Michelle! Please e-mail me with your full name and address so Ergo Chef can send your knife to you.