Name: Cacao Pretz - Bitter Pocky
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 95g plain flour/cake flour (T45); 5g black cocoa powder; 25g unsalted butter; 30g sugar; 15ml water; 20ml milk; 20g white chocolate (optional) - cut into small pieces

May 27, 2020

Cacao Pretz – Bitter Pocky

Cacao Pretz - Bitter Pocky

Prep Time

20 minutes

Cook Time

10 minutes

Total Time

30 minutes

Ingredients

95g plain flour/cake flour (T45)
5g black cocoa powder
25g unsalted butter
30g sugar
15ml water
20ml milk
20g white chocolate (optional) - cut into small pieces

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180℃ degree.
2. Place flour, black cocoa powder and sugar in a food processor and process to mix, then add butter, water and milk. Re-process the machine and run until blended well (until the dough turns like a crumbly ball).
3. Transfer the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead it to shape into a circle. Roll out the dough to about 0.3 to 0.5 cm thickness square shape and cut them into a long stick shape using the knife.
4. Place them on the baking sheet you prepared.
5. Bake them for about 10 to 12 mins. Let the pocky cool down completely.
If you want to decorate with white chocolate
6. Melt the white chocolate in a hot water bath (50℃), dip the end of the pocky (about 1cm) into chocolate. Let the excess drip off, and place on the plate. Let stand until chocolate is set.

New

May 23, 2020

Strawberry Tiramisu

Serving Size

25 x 18 cm

Prep Time

1 hour

Cook Time

30 minutes

Total Time

1 hour, 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the strawberry puree

200g Strawberry - cut into small pieces
30g white sugar
1 tsp lemon juice

For the base cake

2 eggs
40g white sugar
40g plain flour/cake flour (T45)
10g unsalted butter
10ml milk

For the strawberry cream

250ml heavy creem
40g white sugar
250g mascarpone cheese
50g white sugar
350g strawberry - cut into small cubes

For the topping

30g white chocolate - shaved

Instructions

Making the base cake
1. Cut a piece of parchment paper to cover the bottom and sides of a jelly-roll pan.
2. Sift flour into a medium bowl and set aside. Pre-heat the oven to 190C degree.
3. Beat eggs with sugar in a medium bowl until creamy (about 3 min) with an electric hand mixer.
4. Add the sifted flour and mix gently using spatula or a egg wisk until moistened.
5. In a small cup, add butter and milk and microwave for about 15 sec at 600W, take a small amount of the mixture from #4 and add it into the butter mixture.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared sheet pan, Flatten the surface with the spatula. Tap gently the bottom of the pan to punch out the air. Bake for about 10-12 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.
7. Remove from the oven, immediately loosen the edges of the cake from the pan gently. Flip the cake upside down. Peel off the parchment paper you just used for baking (I actually use printing paper sheets). Cover and let the cake cool completely.
Making strawberry syrup
In a small cooking pan, add strawberry, sugar and lemon juice. Heat over medium heat and cook until strawberries are softened. Set aside.
Making the cream layer
8. Combine sugar (40g) and heavy cream in a bowl and whip until soft-peak with a electric hand mixer. Set aside. In an another bowl, add mascarpone and sugar (50g). Whip until soft and smooth. Add gradually whipped cream into a mascarpone and mix well.
9. Add the strawberry (450g) and mix together.
Finalize the Tiramisu
10. Place the sponge cake at the bottom of the serving plate you are going to use. Then spread the strawberry syrup onto the cake evenly. Pour the cream mixture from #8 over the sponge cake. Sprinkle shaved white chocolate over the cream.
11. Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight before serving.

May 21, 2020

Oreo Churros

Persons

Prep Time

30 minutes

Cook Time

30 minutes

Total Time

1 hour

Ingredients

6 oreos cookies
70g all purpose flour (T55) - sifted
1 tbsp sugar
1/3 tsp fine salt
15g unsalted butter
230ml water
1 tbsp milk

Instructions

1. Remove the cream layer inside the oreo cookies, process the cookies to a fine crumb in a food processor.
2. In a small bowl, sift the flour and then add the oreo fine crumbs from #1 and mix. Set aside.
3. In a medium saucepan, add water, milk, salt, butter and sugar. Heat until the butter is melted and the mixture start boiling (remove from the heat just before it boils). Add the flour mix from #2 and mix them to combine evenly using a wooden spoon. The dough will lump and pull away from the saucepan easily.
4. Spoon the dough into a pastry piping bag fitted with a star tip. Add enough oil to a saucepan and heat to about 180°C over medium heat.
5. Squeeze the dough into the hot oil and cut it to release into the oil with scissors. Fry the churros on each side.
6. Transfer them on a paper towel-lined plate to drain, roll in sugar all sides to coat. Repeat this process with the remaining dough.
7. Enjoy!

May 12, 2020

Japanese Miso Soup – Miso Shiru with Tofu

Japanese Miso Soup - Miso Shiru with Tofu

Persons

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

15 minutes

Total Time

30 minutes

Japanese Miso Soup - Miso Shiru with Tofu

Ingredients

800ml water
1/2 onion - finely sliced
55g white miso paste
1/2 tbsp hondashi powder
240g tofu (soft or firm) - (cut into bite size pieces.)
*I like soft tofu for miso soup.

Instructions

1. In a cooking pot, add water and onion. Bring it to a boil, then add miso paste.
2. Once miso paste is melted completely, add tofu and hondashi powder. Bring it to a boil.
3. Serve hot!

May 11, 2020

Black bread loaf – Black shokupan with bread machine

Black bread loaf - Black shokupan

Serving Size

A loaf of bread (about 7 x 4.7 x 4.7 inch)

Prep Time

2 hours

Cook Time

45 minutes

Total Time

2 hours, 45 minutes

Ingredients

340g bread flour (or 335g/T65 and 5g/gluten flour)
10g black cocoa powder
230ml water
12g whole milk powder
30g sugar
6g salt
10g glucose syrup
32g unsalted butter
5g active dry yeast

Instructions

1. Add water, bread flour (and gluten, optionally), black cocoa powder, sugar, salt, glucose syrup and milk powder in the pan of your bread machine. Select dough cycle and press start as per manufacturer's instructions.
2. After 5 min add butter in the pan and add yeast in the yeast compartment.
3. When the dough cycle is complete, remove it from the machine and place on a floured surface.
4. Punch the dough down and divide it in 3 pieces. Cover them with a dry cloth. Let rest for about 15min.
5. Working with one piece at at time, use a rolling pin, roll the dough back and forth, shaping it into a flat oval. Fold it length-wise, bringing both sides onto the centerline. Then roll it up. Place the shaped dough, seam side down, in a greased loaf pan. Repeat with the other dough balls, placing another in the center, and the last one at the other end of the pan.
Cover and let rise for 40~60min or until the dough rises to 85~90% of the square pan height.
6. Preheat the oven to 190℃. Cover the pan with a lid and bake for 30 minutes.
7. Unmold and transfer the bread to a cooling rack. Wait till it completely cools down before slicing.

Check out this video if you prefer to use your Stand Mixer rather than a Bread Making Machine :

May 8, 2020

Matcha mochi

Serving Size

15 mochi

Ingredients

For the filling nuts :

20g nuts of your choice - pistachio, almond, macadamia, walnut etc.. - chopped
15g sugar
1 tsp water

For the cream filling :

50ml heavy cream/whipping cream
40g white chocolate - cut into small pieces
150g mascarpone
1 tsp matcha powder
2 tbsp white sugar

For the mochi :

100g glutinous rice flour
40g white sugar
180ml water

Instructions

1. Start with the filling
In a small cooking pot, add sugar (15g) and 1 tsp water and bring it to a boil. Once it starts to be lightly brown, then add the nuts and stir for a few seconds. Transfer over the baking sheet and let it cool. Set aside.
2. In an another small cooking pot add heavy cream (50ml) and heat until almost boiled. Remove from the heat and add white chocolate (40g), mix gently until the chocolate blocks are melted completely. Transfer into a heat-safe bowl and let it cool to room temperature then chill in the fridge.
3. Once the chocolate mix is cold : in a medium bowl, add mascarpone, sugar and the chocolate mixture from #2. Mix well. Add matcha sifting with a sieve. Mix well. Add the nuts from #1 and mix.
4. Prepare the silicone mould (here I used a 4cm diameter * 15-hole mould). Place the matcha cream in each hole. Flatten the surface, using a spoon. Place in the freezer until it is frozen. I usually make this one day before I want to make mochi.
5. Mochi time! Once the cream is frozen, start preparing the mochi mixture : In a microwave safe glass bowl, combine flour and sugar. Stir to combine. Add the water and mix with an egg beater until smooth. Cover the bowl lightly with cling wrap.
6. Microwave the mixture for 1 minute. Then stir the dough with a spatula. Put it back in the microwave again for another minute and stir lightly. Put it back in the microwave for another 30 seconds (not 1 min) and stir. And once more microwave for 30 seconds and stir. The mixture should be now very thick and translucent.
7. Transfer the mochi dough on your working surface floured with katakuriko/potato starch. As it is very hot you should use a spatula or a dough cuter. Cut the mochi into 15 equal pieces. Don't forget to coat your hand with katakuriko/potato starch.
8. With your hands, take one of these pieces and flatten it into a thick disc. Then put a frozen cream ball from the freezer in the middle of the mochi disc. Pull out the cream balls one at a time from the freezer as they will melt quickly. Pull the edges of the dough disc together to cover the cream ball. Press together the edges to seal well. Smoothen the mochi by rolling it on the dusted board.
9. Keep in the fridge before you serve :)