How to make Dark Treacle

Source of the recipes are from http://steves-kitchen.com/dark-treacle/
Prep Time: 10 minutesCook Time: 35-40 minutes

Ingredients

• 200g / 7 oz of Sugar
• 60ml / 1/4 cup of Water
• 500g of Sugar
• 250ml / 1 cup of Boiling Water
• 1/4 of a Lemon
• Instructions
  1. Place the 200g of sugar into a saucepan and add 1/4 cup of water. Turn on the heat and allow to sugars to dissolve. Continue to heat the sugar without stirring until the sugars turn a really dark brown / black colour.
     If you are using a Candy Thermometer the temperature should be in excess of 200C / 400F. You will see the sugars go from clear to light brown to dark brown to almost black. The aroma of the sugars will change also at each stage, the final  smell is a rich burnt caramel.
  2. Turn off the heat once you have the dark colour or reached over 200C and allow the sugars to cool just slightly. Just enough to let the bubbles stop bubbling.
     Add in the 500g of sugar and very carefully add in the cup of boiling water. Be aware that the sugars may fizz and bubble at this point. The dark sugars will tend to solidify at this stage but this is normal so don’t worry.
  3. Turn the heat back on and gently stir and heat the sugars until they are all dissolved and liquid again. Gently simmer the sugars for 35-40 minutes.
     Now you will need to test the treacle to see if you have the right consistency. Drop a small amount of the treacle onto the back of a pan lid and allow it to cool. Once it is cool if the consistency is right you should have a thick sticky treacle.
     If your treacle sets too hard you will have to add between 5-10% more water to your treacle and stir through. This works out at about 1/4 – 1/2 cup of boiling water (add 1/4 cup at a time and test your consistency).
     If your treacle is to thin just continue to simmer for a while longer.
  4. When you are happy with the consistency of your treacle pour it into a clean sterilised jar and allow to cool before popping on the lid.
     Happy cooking with your homemade dark treacle.

My Fruit Cake

Ingredient:

350g Siifted all purpose/plain /Top flour and 1 tsp of baking powder 1/2 tsp salt
spices
a. 1/2 tsp ground ginger
b. 1/2 tsp cinnamon
c. 1/2 tsp nutmeg
d. 1/2 tsp all spice(cinnamon, nutmeg & clove)

200-250ml /1 cup alcohol (Sherry or Rum, gin, Brandy & XO)/fresh orange juice (no alcohol version)
350g /2+1/3 cup dried fruit( raisin, golden raisin, date, cranberry & apricot)
Zest of one citrus fruit ( lemon, lime or orange)
375g of mixed Nut( Almond 200g, Walnut 100 & 50g Cashew Nut)
180g brown sugar 300g Butter
2 tablespoons black treacle( homemade)
4 medium size eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla


Method:
Soaked dried fruit with rum for one week or heat dried fruits and alcohol in a low heat until the dried fruit are soften (I use Rum) then allow to cool. Add in the chopped nut and 1/4 of the flour mixture and set aside.
Preheat Oven to 170°C . Line the base and the side of 9 inch square tin with baking paper.
1. Using a electric beaters, beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg gradually, beating thoroughly after each addition. 
2. Add treacle and vanilla and beat until combine. 3. Add in orange zest and mix well. Fold in the flour and mix well.
4. Combine all the dried fruits and nut with the batter until well mixed.
5. Transfer mixture to the prepared tins, smooth surface.
6. Bake at 170°C for 30 minutes then 160°C for 30 minutes or until skewer comes out clean when inserted in the centre of the cake.  
7. To prevent browning too quickly on top. Cover the cake very loosely with foil in the middle of your oven.
8. Let it cool a little then brush with Rum. 'Feed' (brush) the cake with alcohol over several weeks. This gives the Fruit Cake a subtle alcohol flavor and a moist texture, plus it also acts as a preservative so the cake can be stored for ages and ages. Of course, the step of repeatedly brushing the cake with alcohol means we have to make it well in advance of Christmas.

Light Fruit cake

Source of the recipes are from http://lilysbest.blogspot.com/2010/12/easy-christmas-fruitcake.html?m=1


Ingredients:

1/4 cup Brandy or Rum
2 cups mixed dried fruit ( raisins, golden raisin and cranberry)

1 cup of chopped nut ( almond, cashew and walnut)
300g all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2tsp ground mixed spice 
1/4 tsp salt
300g unsalted butter - room temperature
2 cups  confectioners' sugar/powdered sugar
4 to 5 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
Zest from 2 big orange
Half cup of homemade Caramel sauce 




Method: 

Grease and lined a 9 inches square tin.

Put rum and dried fruit  in a saucepan and cook until the brandy is soaked up by the fruits.  Add the nut and let it cool.
Sieve flour, baking powder, spices and salt together.

Cream room temperature butter until light, reduce speed to low and add in 1+1/2 cups of confectioners; sugar, a little at a time, turn back to speed 2 and continue to cream until light and fluffy. 

Add in the egg yolks, one at a time , cream well before adding the next one.

Using a microplane, zest the orange and lemon (you might have to use 2 oranges or 2 lemons if you are using an ordinary grater cos the microplane grates more zest) and add into the butter mixture. Add in the vanilla extract and cream well to combine.

Add in the caramel sauce and cream well

Reduce the speed to low and add in the sieved flour in 3 portions.  Mix well.

Remove from stand mixer and add in all the fruits and nuts.  Stir to combine the fruits and nuts to the mixture.

Whisk egg whites until foamy before adding in the 1/2 cup of confectioners' sugar and beat until soft peak.  When whisk is lifted from bowl, whites form droopy, moist-looking, but definite peaks.

Stir in 1/3 of the beatened egg whites and mix in thoroughly, then fold in the rest of the egg whites.

Divide batter evenly amougst the prepared loaf pans and put to bake in 325 f preheated oven for 50 minutes or until a toothpick test comes out clean.

Remove from oven and leave to rest on a cake rack for 5 to 10 minutes before removing the greaseproof paper. Leave the cakes to cool completely before wrapping in cling wrap.

Sourdough Bread

Van Houten Chocolate Pound Cake

Van Houten Chocolate Pound Cake(Uncle Charlie chocolate cake)

Ingredients:

A). 200 gm. Flour mixture sieved.

50 gm Van Houten cocoa powder with 150 gm plain flour or All Purpose flour or Self-rising flour. (Please omit the baking powder if you are using Self-rising flour, it contain leavening agent)

B). 200 gm. Butter.

C). 180gm. Sugar.(180g to 200g)

D). A pinch of salt

E). 1 tbsp. Pure Vanilla extract

F). 200 gm. Eggs ( about 4 to 5 nos of eggs) 

G). 2tsp. Baking powder ( omit this if you are using self-rising flour)

Method:

(1)Use an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar, salt and vanilla extract until light and creamy. 

(2) Add in the egg one at a time and beat until creamy. 

(3) Fold in sieved flour mixture. Stir until just combined.

(4) Pour into a 20 cm Dia. round baking  tin that has been lined with baking paper.

(5) Bake in a preheated oven at 170 degrees C for about 30 mins. or until cooked.

Japanese Strawberry Chiffon Shortcake (cooked dough method)

Golden chiffon Cake 黄金The batter is using 烫面 "Cooked Dough" method (that means cook the egg yolk batter first)

*makes a 9" (internal diameter) x 3" height round cake tin with removable bottom (not a non-stick)

50g butter (salted)+ 50 sunflower oil

90g Plain flour+ 10g cornflour
6 egg yolks (A size)
100g fresh milk

6 egg whites (A size)

100g caster sugar
1/2 tsp cream of tartar

Method

1. Prepare a cake pan, don’t need to line paper.
2. Immediate separate cold eggs from fridge (easy to separate this way) into two mixing bowls. Set aside to return to room temperature.
3. Place butter, oil and milk in a saucepan, once you see small bubbles, remove from heat.
4. Immediately add in flour, quickly stir to become batter (at this stage, the batter is thick. Also suggest to transfer this batter to another clean mixing bowl).
5. Add in egg yolk one at a time, stir well on each addition. The batter is slightly runny if compare to normal chiffon batter.
6. Mix sugar and cream of tartar together. Beat egg whites till foamy, gradually add in sugar mixture (in three batches) and continue beat until approaching stiff peaks (meringue stand straight up with a little curve at the tip) or till stiff peaks (this stage is a bit difficult to fold with egg yolk mixture)
7. Take 1/3 of meringue and use a hand whisk to mix well with egg yolk batter.
8. Fold in 1/3 of meringue and use a silicone spatula, gently fold with egg yolk batter till slightly combined. Fold in the balance meringue and gently fold till well combined.
9. Pour into cake tin, bake at pre-heated oven at 165C (no fan) for 30mins at low rack, then increase to 170C (no fan) for another 15 mins.
10. Once baked, turn your chiffon tin upside down and cool completely before remove from the tin.

Chiffon Reference : modified from Sonia aka Nasi Lemak Lover Golden Sponge cake

For Cake Filling:
2 cups Heavy Cream
1 tsp Gelatin (unflavoured)
1 tbsp Cold Water
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
4 tbsp confectioner's sugar

1/2 cup Strawberries, evenly sliced and mix with 2 tbsp of sugar and rum for the filling
1 cup Strawberries, for the topping
Glaze for strawberries, as desired

To make Stabilized Whipped Cream*:

1. Place the electric mixer bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer for at least half an hour before use. Keep heavy cream cold in the refrigerator, taking out only when ready to whip.

2. Pour the cold water into a glass bowl and sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the surface of the water. Let stand for 5 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, fill a saucepan with water up to 2 cm height. Bring to a gentle simmer over low heat. Sit the bowl of gelatin over the rim of the saucepan, ensuring that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the surface of the water. Stir continuously until all the gelatin dissolves. Once dissolved, set aside and let mixture cool down to room temperature.




4. Pour heavy cream into the mixer bowl and whisk on medium speed until the cream just starts to thicken, and you start to see the whisk lines faintly trailing in the cream as you whisk. Pour in the vanilla extract, then add the sugar. Continue to whisk until soft peaks form. Then pour in the gelatin all at once, and continue to whisk until stiff peaks form. Be careful not to over-whip as cream peaks go from soft to stiff very quickly - over-whipped cream will start to turn buttery. If not ready to use immediately, cover with cling wrap and place in refrigerator to let it chill.To Assemble the Cake:

 1. On a cake turntable or flat dish, cut the chiffon cake in two pieces and place the bottom cake layer with the smooth side facing down.

2. Place a large dollop of whipped cream and spread a thin but even layer over the surface. Cover the surface with strawberry slices (avoid stacking or overlapping slices), again in an even layer over the cream. Spread another even layer of cream, just enough to cover the strawberry slices.

3. Cover with the top cake layer, making sure that both layers align nicely all around the circumference of the cake. Frost the top and sides of the cake, smoothing the cream all around.

4. At this point let the cake chill for 30 minutes before you continue the decoration.

5. Using piping tips of your choice, pipe just inside the edge all around on the top, and at the base of the cake. Pipe rosettes to fill the centre of the cake. Decorate with strawberry halves and quarters (sit the strawberries on the rosettes), and brush over with glaze for a moist, glossy appearance. Chill to set the frosting and filling before serving.

How to store if making in advance:

Cake Base: Keep each layer separately in re-sealable bags or air-tight containers, and chill until ready to use.
Whipped Cream: Cover bowl with cling wrap and keep chilled until ready to use. If the cream has deflated a little by the time it is needed, simply re-whip by hand using a hand whisk until light and fluffy again.

For Filling and Frosting reference: modified from Little Bites Big Tastes Strawberry Chiffon Shortcake

中秋莲蓉月饼Homemade Lotus Paste Mooncake

中秋节快乐！