Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Art & Science of Baking - Baking Language

Thought of sharing this knowledge which I thought is important when you start learning to bake.

Bain Marie
It's a utensil & a cooking technique. Also Known as double boiler or Mary's bath. One container with food to be cooked is placed in another, larger pan containing water that is at the simmering point. This method of cooking surrounds the food with very gentle heat & is used for cooking delicate dishes like custards or white sauces, or melting chocolates.
Pronunciation: bane mah-REE

Baking Powder
A leavening agent used in cookies, quick breads and other baked goods to produce expansion of a batter. It is made of baking soda and cream of tartar or another acid powder. It's almost always double action - it releases carbon dioxide when mixed with liquid, & releases it again when exposed to heat. People often confuse it with baking SODA. You can make your own baking powder, which will be single action, by combining baking soda with cream of tartar.

Baking Soda or Bicarbonate of Soda
A leavening agent used in baked goods like cookies or quick breads. It's used when the dough or batter contains an acidic ingredient, like buttermilk, lemon, brown sugar, sour cream, or yogurt. The soda, or base, combines with the buttermilk, or acid, to produce carbon dioxide and the baked goods expand, or rise. It is an ingredient in baking powder.

Beat
Also known as 'whip' which means to rapidly stir a batter to incorporate the ingredients along with air.

Blind Bake
Or bake blinding means to bake a pie crust without a filling. There are several techniques used to ensure that the pie crust holds it shape when baked empty. Pie weights can be placed in the shell to keep it from puffing. The shell can be lined with foil and dried beans or peas. Pricking the crust with a fork before baking also helps the crust keep its shape.

Cream
To rub or work soft shortening, sometimes with sugar, against the sides of a bowl until creamy or fluffy. This process, when making baked goods, forms tiny air pockets in the shortening so the finished product is light and airy.

Cut in
Or blend, means working solid shortening into dry ingredients with two knives or a pastry blender until well mixed. When making pastry, solid shortening, lard, or butter is cut in to a flour mixture until the particles are the size of small peas. This creates a flaky texture by coating the flour proteins with shortening, interrupting the gluten formation.

Fold
Usually egg whites or whipped cream are folded into a heavier mixture, for a souffle, cake, or pie filling. The lighter mixture is placed on top of the heavier mixture, then the two are combined by passing a spatula down through the mixture, across the bottom, and up over the top. This process continues until the mixtures are combined. This traps air into bubbles in the product, allowing baked goods to rise.

Ganache
A combination of chocolate and cream, melted together slowly. When used warm, ganache is poured over cakes or cookies to form a smooth glossy coating. If chilled, it can be formed into chocolate truffles. Also known as Confectioner's Coating
Pronunciation: gah NAHSH

Macerate or Soak
This term means letting food, usually fruit, soak in a liquid to absorb flavor. Fruits are usually soaked in liqueurs. In other words, fruit that is marinated in liqueurs is being macerated.

Proof
Dough proofs when it is allowed to sit in a warm spot, usually for several hours. The dough expands and rises because of yeast fermentation and production of carbon dioxide. The gas is trapped within gluten strands which form out of protein in the flour as the bread is kneaded.

Seize
Chocolate seizes when water is added, usually accidentally, during melting. It stiffens, loses its gloss, and becomes lumpy and unworkable. Sometimes this can be fixed by stirring in some solid shortening or oil.

Stir
To use a spoon, whisk, or beater to move ingredients around in a circular motion. Stirring is a more gentle form of beating.

Temper
Temper actually has two meanings. The first is a process of heating and cooling chocolate to form stable crystals. These crystals then assure that the chocolate will be firm at room temperature. The second meaning is to gently heat egg yolks before adding to a hot sauce by adding a small bit of the sauce and beating well. This technique prevents curdling.

Truffles
There are two different types of truffles - chocolate truffles are made of chilled ganache, rolled into balls and then coated in candy coating, powdered sugar, nuts or cocoa. The other truffle is a fungus, or mushroom, which grows at the base of oak trees and is extremely expensive. These truffles are also extremely pungent, and can flavor raw eggs when simply stored in the same container! Real truffles are costly.

Sunday, July 29, 2007

Almond Croissant

Ingredients:

175g Bread Flour
45g Plain Flour
4g Yeast
3g Salt
20g Caster Sugar
10g Unsalted Butter (unmelted)
80g Egg (about 3 eggs)
65g or 65ml Water

For Folding:
140g Croissant Margarine

1. Put all ingredients into mixing bowl except the Salt & Butter
2. Mix well & add in the Salt & Butter, mix into a dough
3. Take out & & make it into a dome-shaped dough & cover (not wrap) it with food or plastic wrap and let it rest on the table for 40mins (until it 'grows' to about 2X or 3X its original size)
4. Roll the dough to a rectangle shape. It should be big enough to wrap the Croissant Margarine.
5. Fold in the Croissant Margarine (which is wrapping it with your dough).
6. Roll the dough to 3X single fold:
a. After wrapping your Croissant Margarine, flatten your dough slightly.
b. Sprinkle some flour & begin to roll the dough til it becomes an elongated
rectangle)
c. After that, fold in your dough into 3 parts
d. Turn your dough 90˚& start rolling again til it becomes an elongated
rectangle. Repeat c & d twice. (This is the tiring part)
7. Keep it in the fridge & rest for 30mins
8. Take out & roll to 3/4cm thick & cut into triangle shapes (be sure to broaden the sides as you roll). The qty should be about 8 to 9 pieces.
9. Make a slit at the base of the triangle & open it slightly. Place your filling near to the slit & roll it into a croissant shape. You can replace your filling with Tuna, sausage, chocolate chips etc. Make sure that the end tip of the croissant is at the bottom, lying on the tray.
10. Put it onto the baking tray, proof to double the size
11. Brush with egg wash (whole egg) and bake at 200˚C for 15mins

Filling:
150g Almond Ground
150g Caster Sugar
150g Unsalted Butter (Melted)
18g Plain Flour
1Tsp Rum or Vanilla Flavour

Put all ingredients into mixing bowl & mix well.

The texture isn't like the ones you have at Delifrance. It tasted more like those you ate at the breakfast buffet in hotels as it's less flaky. Be careful not to let your nails tear the dough or use too much strength in rolling your dough as tearing it will result in the margarine leaking out. Happy rolling & baking :)

Monday, July 23, 2007

White Cheese with Yoghurt & Mango Fruit Cake


Here's the recipe which have included some personal notes. It does look intimidating at first but if you go thru the steps in your mind, it should be quite manageable. Alternatively you could prepare the sponge cake and syrup a day before.

Vanilla Sponge
Ingredients:
250g Sponge Cake Mix
5 Eggs
50g Unsalted Butter (melted)
50ml Water

1. Heat the oven at 180˚C for 14"x14" or 8"x8" tray or 160˚C for 7" round tray
2. Put all ingredients into a mixing bowl & beat at high speed. The batter should not be runny, it should look thick and light in colour.
3.Pour in the melted butter and mix well (add in slowly and do not over-mix. a few stirs will do)
4. Pour on the tray and bake for for 15-20mins (14"x14" tray) or for 25-30mins (8"x8" tray) or 35-40min for 7" round tray.

Filling
Ingredients:
3 Egg Yolks
200g Cream Cheese
30g Caster Sugar
100g Plain Yoghurt
100g Melted White Couverture (Milk chocolate)*
200g Millac Cream
100g UHT or Fresh Milk
1 tbsp Gelatine Powder (full tbsp)
3 tbsp Hot Water

1. Cream the Cheese and Sugar to a creamy texture. Ensure that the batter is thoroughly mixed well. Start with low speed then switch to high speed.
2. Add in the Egg Yolk and mix to a smooth texture. Add in half the amount of yolk. Mix well then pour in the remainder.
3. Boil the Milk and add into the above mixture and mix to room temperature.
4. Melt the White Couverture and add it to the mixture. Mix well as it will likely sink to the bottom of the mixture.
5. Whip up the Cream to soft peak, together with Yoghurt, add into the above mixture. Be careful not to over whip the Cream as it will curdle which happened to my first attempt.
6. Dissolve Gelatine with Hot Water & add into the above mixture and mix well as the Gelatine may sink to the bottom.

Mango Fruit Mirror
Ingredients:
100g Mango Fruit Puree (or you could change it to Passion Fruit Puree)
50ml Water
80g Caster Sugar
1 tbsp Gelatine Powder (full tbsp)

1. Boil the Puree, Water and Sugar
2. Dissolve the Gelatine, add to the above mixture and mix well
3. Let it cool before use

Mango Fruit Syrup
Ingredients:
100g Mango Fruit Puree
100g Water
60g Sugar

1. Boil the Puree, Water and Sugar till it melts. Cool the mixture and brush it on the sponge cake.

Finishing
1. Cut 1st layer of sponge cake and put it into the cake ring and brush with Mango Fruit Syrup
2. Pour half the filling into it and put the second layer of sponge and brush it with Syrup. Put it into the freezer for 10-20 mins or till the cake is set. This step is crucial as it will prevent the sponge cake from 'floating' up when the last portion of filling is added.
3. Once set, pour the balance of the filling and level it. Keep the bowl low as you pour to prevent creating air bubbles.
4. Put it in the fridge to let it set.
5. Finally, take out when it's ready and pour the Mango Fruit Mirror and let it set in the fridge.

To remove the cake from the cake ring, you could heat up the cake ring with your hair dryer. Yes, the heat from your hair dryer will soften the cake and allow it to slip out from the cake ring.

*Couverture is a higher grade chocolate than normal chocolates as it contains a higher % of cocoa. You can get it at Phoon Huat.