Mini Éclairs 迷你闪电泡芙

Éclair is come from French that means 'flash of lightning',  so named because its eaten quickly. Éclair is an elongated pastry filled with custard or whipped cream and usually iced with chocolate. So today I'm gonna share with you the classic and elegant Éclairs' recipe, but for easy to eat and the party treats, I am making it mini size.

Ingredients

Dough:

1/2 cup      Water

1/2 cup      All Purpose Flour (Plain Flour)

1/4 cup      Unsalted Butter

1/4 tsp      Salt

2      Eggs

Custard Filling:

1 cup + 2 tbsp      Milk

2 tbsp      Corn Starch

2 tbsp      Castor Sugar

2      Egg Yolks

1/2 tsp      Vanilla Paste / Extract

1/4 tsp      Salt

Chocolate Ganache:

58g      Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips

2 tbsp      Heavy Cream

材料

面团：

1/2 杯      水

1/2 杯      普通面粉

1/4 杯      无盐牛油

1/4 小匙      盐

2颗      蛋

卡士达馅：

1 杯 ＋ 2 大匙      牛奶

2 大匙      玉米淀粉

2 大匙      白砂糖

2 颗      蛋黄

1/2 小匙      香草膏／香草精

1/4 小匙      盐

巧克力酱：

58克      半甜巧克力粒

2 大匙      鲜奶油

Methods:

To make the Custard Filling...

1. Add all the custard ingredients in a saucepan, and then whisk them all together to combine.

2. Place the custard mixture over medium heat to cook, whisking the whole time until custard thickens.

3. Strain the cooked custard through a fine sieve into a bowl, and then cover it with a piece of plastic wrap. Make sure the plastic wrap is touching the custard, and then set it in the fridge to cool completely.

To make the Dough...

1. Preheat the oven to 220˚C / 425˚F.

2. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

3. Put the water, butter, and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium low heat.

4. When boiled, remove the heat. Add the flour all at once and stir well with a wooden spoon until the flour is completely mixed in.

5. Turn the heat back on to medium heat and cook, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes. Scrape the dough into a large bowl.

6. With a mixer or a wooden spoon, beat the dough to allow the steam escape.

7. Beat in the eggs one at a time until all eggs are well incorporated.

8. Fill a disposable piping bag that has been fitted with a medium size round tip with the dough, and then pipe out 3 inches (around 8cm) apart on the prepared baking sheets.

9. Spray the top of the eclairs with some water and bake them for 8 minutes.

10. Reduce the temperature to 180˚C / 350˚F and continue baking for an additional 15 minutes or until lightly golden brown.

11. As soon as they come out of the oven, use a skewer to make a little hole at the end of each side so the steam can escape. Set aside on a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the Ganache...

1. Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until just below boiling point.

2. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips and let it sit for a minute.

3. Whisk the chocolate mixture until the chocolate has melted.

To assemble...

1. Using a pipping bag fitted with a small size round tip, fill each shell with the cooled custard cream and dip the tops in the melted chocolate ganache.

2. Allow them to set slightly before serving.

做法：

卡士达馅的做法...

1. 将所有材料倒入小锅里搅拌至完全结合。

2. 用中小火加热，期间不停的搅拌至卡士达变浓稠。

3. 将煮好的卡士达馅过筛到碗中，然后盖上一块保鲜膜。确保保鲜膜碰触到卡士达馅，然后放入冰箱里至完全冷却。

面团的做法...

1. 预热烤箱至220˚C／425˚F。

2. 将烤盘铺上烘焙纸备用。

3. 将水，牛油及盐倒入锅中，用中小火煮开。

4. 煮开后熄火。加入面粉，用木勺搅拌均匀直到完全混合。

5. 用中火继续煮面团，不断搅拌大约两分钟。将熟面团倒入一个大容器里。

6. 用搅拌机或木勺搅拌熟面团，以让蒸汽散发。

7. 拌入鸡蛋，一次一颗，直到鸡蛋完全结合均匀。

8. 用一个一次性的挤花袋配上中等大小的圆形嘴管，将面团放入其中，然后在准备好的烤盘上挤出3英寸（大约8厘米）的长形。

9. 在挤好的面团上喷洒一点水，然后送入预热烤箱里烤个8分钟。

10. 8分钟后降低烤箱温度至180˚C / 350˚F，继续烘烤多15分钟左右或直到浅金黄色。

11. 当送出烤箱后，用一个竹签子在两侧乍个洞以便蒸汽可以散开。设置在烤架上摊凉直至完全冷却。

巧克力酱的做法...

1. 鲜奶油放入小锅中用中火加热至略低于沸点。

2. 将热的鲜奶油倒入巧克力粒中，让它待个1分钟。

3. 慢慢搅拌至巧克力完全溶化及混合在一起。

组合闪电泡芙...

1. 用配有小圆形嘴管的挤花袋，将冷却后的卡士达馅挤入每个泡芙壳里，然后在顶部 沾上巧克力酱。

2. 让它们稍微冷却后才食用。

Homemade Almond & Coffee Ice Cream (without machine)

My boyfriend and I are really an ice cream fans. Serve ice cream as a dessert never goes wrong for us. Since I have learned how to make ice cream at home, I rarely choose to purchase the manufacture one. 

Once I know the ingredients of the ice cream base, I like to explore and try to make the new flavour, and this time I have tried the coffee flavour. It comes out really good. 

The good thing about making ice cream by own is that you can add the nuts or filling as much as you desire, all in your control. =P 

I haven't had enough budget to buy an ice cream machine now, but still I couldn't resist myself to make ice cream at home. I choose the traditional and fully manual method to satisfy my crave. 

The outcome of the "project" is totally worth to spend the entire time of processing it. For those people who do not have an ice cream machine, this is the good time to get a try, you will never regret. =)

Ingredients:

2 cups   Whipping Cream

1/2 cup   Full Fat Milk

1/2 cup   Castor Sugar

1 tbsp   Vanilla Extract

2   Egg Yolks

2 tbsp   Espresso or Dark Roasted Coffee

1/4 cup   Roasted Almond (chopped)

材料：

2杯   鲜奶油

1/2杯   全脂鲜奶

1/2杯   幼白砂糖

1汤匙   香草精

2颗   蛋黄

2汤匙   浓咖啡粉

1/4杯   烤杏仁（切粒）

Methods:

1. Beat up the egg yolks with sugar until pale yellow and creamy.

2. Add in cream, milk, and vanilla extract.

3. Mix everything until well combined.

4. Bring it to the stove, cook with low heat.

5. Stir it constantly with a wooden spoon to prevent it burns on the bottom.

6. Cook about 5 to 8 minutes, until the custard thicken and coats the wooden spoon, and then heat off.

7. Pour the hot custard over the coffee, let it sit about 30 minutes or until becomes room temperature.

8. Once it cooled down, stir it again and strain it with a coffee strainer.

9. Cover the custard with a lid or cling wrap, and then refrigerate in freezer about 2 hours.

10. Take out the half frozen ice cream from freezer, stir it with a spoon to break out the ice crystal.

11. Add in the chopped almond and then mix well, place back to the freezer about an hour.

12. After an hour, stir the ice cream again to break out the ice crystal.

13. Repeat step 12 each hour,  2 to 3 times.

做法：

1. 将蛋黄及幼糖打发至淡黄色和幼滑。

2. 随后加入鲜奶油，鲜奶，及香草精。

3. 将其混合均匀。

4. 用小火煮。

5. 煮的期间用木勺不停地搅拌以防底部烧焦。

6. 大约煮5至8分钟，煮至酱汁变浓稠，然后熄火。

7. 把热酱汁倒入咖啡粉中，然后待凉，大约30分钟。

8. 拌匀咖啡酱汁，然后用咖啡过滤器滤掉咖啡渣。

9. 用盖子或保鲜膜将酱汁盖好，然后放进冰箱大约冰两小时。

10. 从冰箱拿出半结冰的冰淇淋，用汤匙将其搅拌均匀，以防结冰沙。

11. 然后拌入烤过的杏仁粒，放回冰箱大约冰一个小时。

12. 大约一小时后，拿出冰淇淋再搅拌一次。

13. 每小时重复步骤12，重复两三次。

No-Bake Oreo Cheesecake (Glutin Free)

I had tried so many times to make a no-bake cheesecake, and I also failed so many times.
My cheesecake doesn't set, the texture is just like a thick cream.
I keep searching for the demonstration of making it, and I finally found on Allrecipes channel.
I substituted the cream cracker base to the Oreo base.
In this recipe, I mix the Oreo cookies with some cream crackers.
It is because I don't like it too sweet.
And then for the topping, I just simply put some Oreo cookies on top.
It is totally up to you and what you like.

Here is the ingredients you need, and just follow the methods......

Ingredients:
For the base:
35g Oreo Cookies (whole cookie with cream filling)
30g Cream Crackers
30g Packed Brown Sugar
1/4 tsp Ground Cinnamon
50g Butter, melted
For the filling:
250g (1 package) Cream Cheese (I'm using Philadelphia)
5ml Lemon Juice / 1tsp Vanilla Extract (optional)
235ml (1 cup) Heavy Whipping Cream, room temperature
30g Castor Sugar
30g Oreo Cookies (whole cookie with cream filling), crash
For the topping:
4 pieces of Oreo Cookies (separated and remove the cream filling)

Methods:
For the base:
1. Put the cookies and crackers inside a ziploc bag, punch it with a rolling pin until its becomes crumb. If you have a food processor, you may just work with it.
2. In a small bowl, stir together the cookie crumbs, brown sugar and cinnamon.Add melted butter and mix well. It will become like a wet sand.
3. Press the wet crumbs into the bottom of an 8 inch springform pan evenly with hands, to make it more pack, you may use a glass to help. Chill in refrigerator until firm, around 30 minutes.
For the filling:
1. In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and lemon juice/vanilla extract together until soft.
2. Add whipping cream and beat with an electric mixer until the batter becomes thick.
3. Add the sugar and continue to beat until STIFF.
4. Finally add the Oreo crumbs, combine with spatula or wooden spoon slowly.
5. Pour the mixture into the chilled base, and top with the Oreo cookies.
6. Chill it at least 4 hours. For best result, chill it overnight.

Chocolate Pots de Crème

It's been a while I didn't update my blog because I was busy on my final exam. 

Actually this dessert I was made before my exam start, it's fast and simple. 

The texture is between mousse and pudding, when put inside your mouth, it will immediately melted without any bites. Mmm~ mmm~ =)

Here we go for the recipe and lets get started......

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (120ml) Heavy Whipping Cream

1/2 cup (120ml) Full Fat Milk

1/2 tsp Instant Coffee Powder (optional)

60g Semi Sweet or Bittersweet Chocolate, finely chopped

1 Large Egg, room temperature

2 Large Egg Yolks, room temperature

1/4 cup (50g) Castor Sugar

1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

Methods:

1. Preheat oven to 300°f or 150°c.

2. In a heatproof bowl beat the egg, egg yolks and sugar until thick and pale, about 1 to 2 minutes.

3. Meanwhile in a saucepan, over medium heat, bring the cream, milk, coffee powder, and chocolate just to simmer (the cream just begins to bubble around the edges).

4. Gradually pour the hot cream into the egg yolk mixture, making sure you keep whisking constantly so the eggs don't curdle. Stir in the vanilla extract.

5. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and stirring constantly, heat the mixture just until hot to the touch.

6. Strain the warm mixture into a large bowl, and then evenly pour the cream into a ramekin or heatproof container. 

7. Prepare a water bath by carefully pouring enough boiling water comes about halfway up side of the ramekins.

8. Cover with a piece of aluminum foil, cutting a few slits in the foil to allow the steam to escape. Bake for about 30-40 minutes, or just until it set.

9. Remove the cream from the water bath and cool to room temperature, about an hour. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.

10. It can be served with whipped cream and shredded dark chocolate.

Fettuccine Alfredo

One of my favorite pasta, fettuccine with Alfredo sauce!
I like the buttery and cheesy flavor and also the creamy texture of the sauce.

When first put inside your mouth, you couldn't imagine how heavenly is it.
But the thing is, how to make it in a simple way? And all the ingredients which already got in your hand?
So here I came out the easiest recipe for you......

[2-3 serves]
Ingredients:
1/2 pack of Fettuccine
1 1/2 tbsp Garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp Butter
2 1/2 cups Heavy Cream / Hull-Fat Cream
3/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, finely grated
1 tbsp Italian Herbs (rosemary, oregano, basil, marjoram, thyme, savory)
Salt & Pepper to taste

Method:
1. In a pot of boiling water, add a pinch of salt and some oil. Add in the fettuccine, cook about 10-13 minutes until it cooked.
2. Drain the cooked fettuccine in a net, set aside.
3. Melt the butter in a small sauce pan, add in garlic and stir well.
4. Pour over the cream, let it simmer about few minutes.
5. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese into the simmering cream, stir it until a bit thicken.
6. Finally add in the spices, salt and pepper. Combine well.
7. Put the cooked fettuccine on a plate, pour over the sauce on top.
8. Serve.