Rainbow Cream Cheese Cupcakes

This is a simple cream cheese pound cake recipe with a little variation - the inside is multi-coloured. I was about to write this as being for the kids, but I sure enjoy a rainbow cake as much as any kid, and I'm nearly 30. The frosting is a simple buttercream with a couple drops of blue food coloring, but I left the decoration to the "kids" (read: the man of the house) so it tastes better than it looks in the picture. Buttercream frosting is easy to handle and keeps its shape, so this is not only easy to make, but interactive enough to be fun.


Ingredients:

3 sticks butter, softened

8 oz cream cheese, softened

3 cups sugar

6 eggs, at room temperature

3 cups sifted cake flour

1 1/2 tbsp vanilla

Confectioner's sugar

Three (or more) colors of food coloring.

 Directions:

1) In a large bowl, cream together butter, cream cheese and sugar until smooth and fluffy.

2) Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each.

3) Add flour a little at a time, beating until smooth. Add vanilla.

4) Separate batter into 5 small bowls, then add food coloring to each to make five colors. (I usually go the standard route – red, yellow, green, blue, purple.)

5) Prepare a cupcake pan, inserting cupcake papers into each of the muffin holes, and then use a spoon to ladle the batter carefully into each cup. Then, alternate colors by ladling different colors of batter on top of each other. The cups should be about 3/4 of the way full.

6) Bake in the oven at 180 Celsius for about 30 minutes or until you can stick in a toothpick and pull it out clean.

Tips:

* This method can be used for any kind of pound cake - if you want to make rainbow colored bundt cake, layer cake, etc just spoon the batter into the cake tin the same way you might have spooned it into the cups.

Halva

Arabian recipe number two - one after the other, because I am on a kick and made them both on the same day (with a nice curry that Avanator will probably get around to before me!)

Halva is a kind of simple cake that goes well with tea and coffee and has a unique flaky texture you won't find anywhere else. There are many, many ways to make it - some households add nuts, beans and yams, others use tahini or special flour, others use honey. But just to start, if you never made it before, you'll need a simple recipe for your base. I'll leave the rest up to you from there!

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup rosewater
3-4 threads of saffron (or about 1/2 teaspoon of the ground up variety)
340 grams of tahini (pre-beaten)

Directions:

1) Boil sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat.
2) Once sugar is dissolved, add saffron and rosewater. Remove from heat.
3) Add tahini and whisk carefully to fully integrate.
4) Next, spread it evenly on a platter. Add any decorations you would like on top at this time.
5) Cover and stick it in the fridge until it cools.
6) Serve by cutting it into wedges like fudge.

Tips:

* You can use a fork to make patterns in the top of the Halva for decorations before it cools, and they'll stay. You can also add decorative nuts and raisins on the top to your liking. Do all this after you pour the mixture into the platter and before you put it in the fridge.
* Rosewater can be bought at most specialty shops, but in case you can't find it, you can make it yourself. Just take a cup of fresh, clean rose petals (you can buy them from a flower shop if you need to),  pour two cups of boiling water on top, cover and steep until the water cools. Then use a strainer to remove the rose petals and squeeze them out, and voila, you have rose water left over.
* Remember that Lavender cheesecake I made for you guys last week? You can also easily use lavender in this recipe. But beware - lavender is like perfume. Don't add too much - a little goes a long way.

Basic Ice Cream

I love the Japanese word "kufu." It means to "alter" or to "improvise." The best examples of this come from the kitchen - you might have a recipe that calls for apples, but you only have cherries, so you make the same recipe using cherries instead!

One super-easy recipe that calls for this creativity is ice cream. What? You've never made ice cream before? Why - because you don't have an ice-cream maker? Well, neither do I, and neither did the rest of the kitchens of the world until about 30 years ago - and they still had ice cream.

Ingredients:

1 cup milk
2 cups cream
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2-3 tablespoons of whatever you want to add to the ice cream

Suggestions:
* coffee (instant)
* vanilla (only need a teaspoon of this)
* lavender extract (remember how I told you how to make this?) or fresh lavender flowers
* chamomile or rose petals (fresh only!)
* instant cocoa
* cherries, strawberries, blueberries
* Mint
* Chocolate chips or M&Ms
* cinnamon (this too, only needs a teaspoon or so)

Directions:

1) Place a stainless steel bowl into the freezer. Make sure it is level.
2) Heat up the milk until scalding.
3) Add the cream and sugar.
4) Stir in whatever you want to add to the ice cream.
5) Carefully pour the mixture into the (now cool) steel bowl in the freezer. Close the freezer.
6) Leave for about 40 minutes, then go back to the freezer and whisk the mixture.
7) Whisk the mixture every 30-40 minutes until it is completely frozen. (Takes about 3-4 hours.)

And that's it! There are ice-creams that call for eggs, but this one is just a simple summer ice-cream, nothing fancy, and the easiest sweet in the world to "kufu."

Hungarian Eszterházy Torta (cake)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY To AVANATOR!!
(The other, more culinarily talented Californian sister who is posting on this yummy blog)

For today's birthday I have decided to make an Eszterházy Torta, another Victorian Era Hungarian delicacy of the layered variety. Although it looks at first glance similar to the Dobos, it is not - in fact it may be a little easier to make. It also happens to be my favourite of the two.

Ingredients (three part):

For the sponge layers:

* 5 egg whites
* 1 whole egg
* 210 grams of sugar
* 120 grams ground walnut
* 120 grams ground almond
* 50 grams flour
* 50 grams butter

For the cream filling:


* 4/5 cup milk
* 40 grams sugar
* 20 grams vanilla pudding powder (for cooking)
* 2 egg yolks
* 250 grams
* 1 cup of heavy cream
* 1 tbsp cognac
* 10 grams of gelatin
* 2/5 cup water

For the decoration:

* 80 grams sugar
* 1-2 tbsp lemon juice
* 10 grams melted cooking chocolate (black)
* 40 grams chopped almonds
* 3-4 tbsp apricot jam

Directions:

1) Beat the egg whites with the sugar until firm. All the ground walnut and almond, then slowly add the flour and finally the butter. The point is, you don't want to wreck your puffy egg whites, so add everything slowly.
2) Bake 1/6 of the batter in a round lightly buttered and floured baking tin (21 cm) at 180-200 degrees celcius for 3 minutes each. Watch them to make sure they do not burn. When they are done remove each layer and cool on pastry sheets.
3) While they cool, let's bake the filling. First, mix the pudding powder with the sugar, half of the milk, and the egg yolks.
4) Heat up the rest of the milk in a saucepan, then add the rest of the mixture to the saucepan. Once it has been heated, turn off the heat and let it cool.
5) While it cools, whip the heavy cream and set aside, and mix the gelatin with cold water and set aside.
6) Add the cognac to the (cooled down) filling from the saucepan, then gradually add the whipped cream and the gelatin.
7) Smear the filling on five of the six layers of cake, allowing the filling to run down the sides of the cake evenly.
8) Finally, we make the top frosting. First, add the sugar to about 3 tablespoons of water and boil for about two minutes in a small pan.  Take it off the stove and add lemon juice, then put the small pan in a larger pan full of cold water. Stir the mixture until the frosting turns white.
9) Spread a very thin layer of apricot jam on one side of the very top layer of cake... and then FLIP IT OVER onto the top of your cake. (You want a dry layer on top.)
10) Spread the fondant frosting over the top of the cake. Use the melted black chocolate to make designs on the top of the cake, and coat the outside of the cake with almonds.

Tips:

* This cake is creamy though a bit lighter than the Dobos Torta from last week. Both cakes go very well with after-dinner coffee.
* The layers are much easier to handle when cooled to room temperature. Especially the top layer flip.
* Do not use too much apricot jam - think of it like perfume, not like toast. If you add too much jam, the cake will be slippery and difficult to cut.

Hungarian Dobos Torta (cake!)

My Dobos Torta

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my sisters! I am going to post two variations on a style of uniquely Hungarian cake - first the traditional Dobos Torta, and then on my next sister's birthday.... (this month on the 12th) the similar-looking nut-based Eszterházy Torta. These are both Victorian Era cakes of high class and high quality.

First of all - DO NOT DESPAIR!!!! While I was learning to bake this cake a couple years back, I found that many people found it frustrating. The reason for this is that there are seven layers to this luxurious legend, and yes, if you won't properly cool and actually WATCH your cake then it will indeed collapse. This is not a pop-in-oven-and-leave recipe. However, it is a very fast recipe, because from the time you pull out your ingredients to the time it is complete, the cake takes less than 45 minutes to complete.

Ingredients (three-parts): Try to be as accurate as possible (this is why they are in grams)

For the sponge cake:
* 6 egg yolks, 6 egg whites (separated)
* 105 grams of sugar
* 53 grams powdered sugar
* 105 grams flour
* 35 grams melted butter

For the filling cream:

* 4 eggs
* 210 grams powdered sugar
* 17 grams vanilla sugar
* 12 1/2 tablespoons butter (1 1/2 sticks)
* 30 grams cocoa butter
* 35 grams melted baking chocolate (black)

For the top: 150 grams of sugar cubes

Directions:

1) Mix the sugar and yolks.
2) In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with the powdered sugar until they peak stiffly.
3) Mix the two carefully without damaging the egg whites, then gently add the flour and melted butter.
4) Pour 1/5 of the batter into a properly floured 21 cm round baking pan and bake at 180 degrees Celcius for 4-5 minutes. Watch it carefully so that is does not burn - it should be golden brown. When it is done, quickly remove it and place it on a pastry sheet to cool.
REPEAT THE ABOVE STEP SIX TIMES.

5) Next we make the cream (while the six layers are cooling). Warm up the eggs a little above room temperature, and beat with the powdered sugar and vanilla sugar until they cool down.
6) In a separate bowl, mix the butter, cocoa butter and melted black chocolate.
7) Mix the two together and then, smear the chocolate on the top of four of the sponge cake layers you had cooling. Layer one on top of the other while you do this, and allow the chocolate to evenly smear down the sides of the cake as well.
8) When you have the four layers done,  dust the sides gently with powdered sugar and place the cake in the fridge right away.

9) Finally, we make the infamous top layer. My version above has a different version of this, but...

Traditional recipe: 
First, we caramelize the sugar cubes. To do this we add about 3 tablespoons of water to the sugar cubes in a saucepan, and gradually melt the sugar over low heat. After the sugar has melted, we STOP STIRRING and let it simmer for 8-10 minutes until the sugar turns a deep golden brown.
10) Take the caramel of the heat and spread it over the final sheet of sponge cake. Let the caramel set for about 3 minutes until it holds its shape (but do NOT let it cool yet), then cut the layer into the desired number of slices (traditionally 16 pieces).
11) Place the pieces on the top of the cake, and once it has cooled, cut along the lines and serve.

or 10)  Take the caramel off the heat and drip it onto baking sheets, then wait for it to cool. Peel the hardened caramel chips off the paper and use to decorate the cake with the remaining frosting.
(pictured above)

Tips:
That wasn't so bad, was it? Practice makes perfect, however, and if you don't get it right, try, try again. I used to practice by making mini cakes until I felt confident enough to make a big one.

Gerbeaud Dobos Torta

* The traditional Gerbeaud design has squirts of chocolate buttercream holding the caramelized top on an angle. You can try that if you like (see right).
* Also, the traditional Gerbeaud has six layers, not five. Only use the six-layer recipe (which is the same except for dividing the batter) if you intend to cut REALLY BIG slices.
* Do NOT allow the caramel top to harden before you cut - for obvious reasons. You will not be able to cut it once it cools.
* Do not spread, smear, or stack while creams and cakes are piping hot. This seems to be the reason why these cakes collapse - this cake, aside from the baking itself, is meant to be dealt with at room temperature and served chilled.

Lavender Cheese Cake

I'm going to post two recipes in coming weeks that use flowers for flavor. Have you ever had lavender cheesecake? How about roses? There are many flowers you can use in desserts - there's a pretty good list of them here. This recipe (a no-bake cheesecake called "Rare Cheesecake" in Japan) calls for an infusion of lavender, but if you feel like substituting the lavender with rose, chamomile, or even jasmine or hibiscus, go ahead and try! Just be sure that the flowers are grown without chemicals and are food-ready.

Ingredients:

2 cups shortbread cookie crumbs
5 tbsp butter
3 tbsp lavender (dried or fresh)
3/4 cup honey
1/2 cup cream cheese (softened at about room temperature)
1 1/4 cups whipping cream

Directions:


1) Melt the butter, mix it with the cookie crumbs, and push into a cheesecake pan to form the crust. Make it as firm as possible, but not too thin (a half-centimeter should be enough).
2) Refrigerate for about 20-30 minutes. You can do this while making the filling.
3) Seep the lavender in about 3 tablespoons of boiling water. If you are using fresh lavender, you may seep for 15 minutes, but if you are using dried lavender, do not seep for more than 5 minutes. Strain and set aside.
4) Whisk together the honey and cream cheese.
5) Add the lavender.
6) Beat the whipping cream until it thickens and add it to the mixture.
7) Fold the two mixtures gently together, and pour it into the now hardened crust.
8) Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving.

Tips:

* Do not seep the lavender too long, or else it will turn grey.
* You may leave small lavender beads in the cream cheese for decoration.
* Like I mentioned above, try using rose or chamomile for other flavors, too! Just be sure you're using edible flowers.

Angel Food Cake... and custard pudding!

Okay, here is a two-part recipe. Have you ever made angel food cake? Well, I did for the first time, and it turned out beautifully, as you can see in the photo on the right. But if you have ever made angel food cake, you will know that it uses only egg whites. What to do with the left over yolks? I have a simple solution, and added the recipe at the bottom.

Ingredients:

10-12 egg whites (save the yolks!!) at room temperature
1 1/2 cups of castor sugar
1 cup of sifted cake flour
1 tsp Cream of tartar
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract

Directions:

1) Mix together 3/4 cup of sugar and all the flour.
2) In another bowl, beat the egg whites until they become as frothy.
3) Add cream of tartar and salt, and beat until fully mixed.
4) Add sugar very gradually, beating the whole time. You want your mixture to be thick enough to peak gently, but not thick enough to stand peaked on its own.
5) Once it is softly peaking, add the vanilla and almond extract and beat gently once more to mix in.
6) Gently mix in the flour and sugar. Take your time - you need it evenly mixed but still fluffy.
7) Gently spoon the batter into an un-greased angel-food tube pan. Smooth it gently with a spatula and tap it a few times on the counter to release bubbles.
8) Bake for 50-60 minutes at 160 degrees celcius. The top of the cake should spring back when lightly pressed.

Cooking and serving tips:

* Do not grease your pan. I repeat: DO NOT GREASE YOUR PAN. If you do, the cake will not rise to its full fluffy potential.
* Be sure to cool the cake inside the pan. This is because the cake will set as it cools, so keeping it inverted will prevent it from collapsing.
* Turn your pan upside-down to cool for best results.
* Cakes like this are best cut with a serrated knife to avoid squishing it.
* Cake flour is much lighter than regular flour. Best not to substitute with this recipe.
* If you can't find castor sugar, you can make superfine sugar by running regular sugar in a blender or a couple minutes until it thins out.
* Ideally you should use a real tube pan for easy loading. Technically you can also use a bundt pan, but it is more difficult to remove the cake after it has cooled.


WHAT TO DO WITH THE LEFTOVER EGG YOLKS?

Oh those poor egg yolks, set aside with no hope of joining their brothers in the angel food! But not to fear - the perfect use is here. One thing that you must prepare in advance, though, are ramequins. For those of you living in Japan, you can get these cheap at 100-yen kitchen stores like Kitchen Kitchen.

Baked Egg Custard

Ingredients:

1 cup of canned evaporated milk (ideally) or whole milk
5 egg yolks (per batch, so make this twice to use them all - 4 servings per batch)
1/3 cup caster sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
a pinch of ground nutmeg for decoration

Directions:

1) Combine milk and 1 cup of water in a saucepan. Heat at medium until scalding. (Just before boiling point.)
2) Beat the yolks in a bowl, add sugar and vanilla.
3) Slowly pour into the hot milk, stirring constantly.
4) Pour mixture into four 1/2 cup ramequins (per batch) and place in a baking pan.
5) Fill the pan with hot water to come halfway up the sides of the ramequins.
6) Sprinkle with nutmeg and bake for 40-45 minutes at 160 degrees celcius.

Cooking tips:

* You can serve them hot or cold.
* If you don't add the water in the pan while baking, the custard will come out dry and burnt. Imagine you are steaming them.
* Use whole milk instead of low-fat: the custard will set much better.

Cream Cheese Mints

A friend of mine gave me this recipe, which I tried today with fabulous results. This takes less than 30 minutes and requires no baking, but can last three weeks in the fridge. A very quick and easy treat for guests, and goes superbly well with coffee.

Ingredients:

3 tbsp of cream cheese
1/2 tsp mint extract
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup fine granulated sugar
few drops of food coloring (optional but recommended)


Directions:

1) Beat the cream cheese until it is soft and fluffy.
2) Add the mint and food coloring. Mix thoroughly.
3) Add the sugar slowly, mixing until it gets stiff like cookie batter.
4) Make balls of the mixture with your hands, then mould into desired shape.
5) 15 minutes in the fridge and they're done!


Tips:
* If your hands get dry while forming the shapes, run them lightly under the sink before continuing. Moisture helps the sweets mould properly, but too much will make them soggy.
* Store in a tupperware in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

Madeleines

I had to go and purchase a Madeleine pan ($15).  I know it's a little silly since it's only useful for one recipe, but I'm confident I'll create other versions so the pan gets plenty of use!
I used browned butter to make my Madeleines.  It gave some additional nuttiness.  However, I did not like the level of sweetness, so I will make the recipe again slightly differently and repost once I do. 

Ingredients:

12 oz butter
1c sugar, 1tsp vanilla, 1sp lemon zest
4 eggs
1c flour, 2 tsp baking powder, pinch kosher salt


Directions:

12 oz of butter in pan, cooked slowly until slightly brown & fragrant.
 Measure out 1c, and place in stand mixer. Wait until it is cool and semi-solid

.

Add 1c sugar, 1 tsp lemon zest, 1 tsp vanilla.
Combine, then add 2 eggs.  Combine, then add 1/2 the dry ingredients.  Combine, then add rest of egg. Combine, and add rest of dry.

 Fill Madeleine cups 2/3rds full, bake at 350F 8-10 min.  Pop them out after a minute of resting as they will continue to cook in the pan.

Tips:

-From the 3 sticks of butter there was about 1/4 c. left after browning - use it on popcorn!  You'll never use regular butter again, promise!
-Dip in chocolate, sprinkle with powdered sugar, or get creative!

Peanut Butter Cookies

Last night I had the spontaneous desire to make cookies, while my dinner guests were visiting in the parlor.  This recipe is so quick and easy that I had the cookies done before coffee was even served. Perfect last-minute sweets!

Ingredients: 

1.5 sticks butter
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
3 tsp. vegetable / peanut oil
2.5 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp cinnamon
2 1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup peanut butter

Directions:

1) Beat softened butter cinnamon, brown sugar and sugar until fluffy.
2) Add eggs, oil, and vanilla. Beat until soft like meringue.
3) In a separate bowl, mix all dry ingredients.
4) Heat peanut butter (in microwave?) so that it pours easily.
5) Mix all ingredients together carefully in one bowl.
6) Refrigerate for 15-20 minutes.
7) Grease cookie sheets, shape dough into golf ball sized lumps.
8) Add the tell-tale crisscross marks on the top with a fork.
9) Bake at 180 degrees (c) for 9-12 minutes until golden brown and slightly crispy on top.

Extra cooking tips:
* Baking powder can be substituted for baking soda and vice-versa, but never bake without. Your cookies will end up flat without it.
* Butter and peanut butter mixes better if it's soft. I usually melt it in the microwave before mixing, but don't let it become liquid. If the batter is too soft, it won't shape properly. Ideally, you can leave the butter out for about an hour before cooking.
* If the cookies don't hold their shape during baking, try lowering the amount of butter or sugar in the batter.