Earl Grey Crème brûlée

When you got a mini flame thrower in the kitchen or correctly known as a chef torch or blow torch, what better dessert to play with that little toy then making a creme brulee. Creme Brulee is basically a dessert consisting of a rich custard base top with a hard candy shell. This dessert can be made up to 2 days in advance and simple top it with sugar and burnt it right before serving.

Recipes: (make about 4 serving)

370ml        Whole Milk
1 tblsp        Earl Grey tea
4                Egg yolk
75g            Sugar
65ml          cream

• Preheat oven to 100 degree C
• Bring milk to a boil in medium saucepan, Stir in tea leave and leave to infuse for about 4 to 5 minutes
• Strain the milk and discard leaves
• Whisk Yolk, sugar, cream together but not try not to incorporate air. 
• Drizzle the milk slowly into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly
• Pour custard into ramekins. 
• Place ramekin on a baking sheet and slip it into oven
• Bake for 45 minutes or knife inserted in the center comes out cleans. 
• Cool at room temperture then chill for at least 2 hours before serving. 
• To serve, spriinkle a thin coat of sugar over chilled custards and burn it using the "mini flame thrower" going a a smooth circular motion as you burn. Once caramelized, serve immediately. 

Dark Chocolate Raspberries Gelato

Ok... I admit Gelato have nothing to do with baking but let's not limit ourselves here shall we. Ever since I got my KitchenAid Ice-cream maker bowl, I have been searching for the perfect chocolate Gelato recipes. After numerous trial and error, I would say this recipes is rather yummy and awesomely chocolaty. Whether you like raspberries or not, you can easily take out the raspberries included in this recipes.

Recipes:

350ml      Whole Milk
100ml       Cream
150g         Sugar
85g           Cocoa powder
56g           70% Chocolate
4               Egg Yolk
1 shot        Raspberries volka
1 cup        Frozen / fresh raspberries

• Set a large bowl in ice bath
• In medium saucepan over medium low heat, combine milk, cream and half of the sugar. Bring to a bare simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar
• Add cocoa, chopped chocolate and let sit for 2 min to melt chocolate. Whisk lightly to combine. 
• In a medium bowl, whisk egg yolk and sugar until pale yellow
• Slow add in the hot chocolate mixture into the egg, whisking as you combine. 
• Return mixture to saucepan and cook over medium low heat, stirring constantly until thickened and temperature hits 73 degree C
• Pour the mixture into the bowl inside the ice bath. Let cool for 10 minute. 
• Wrap and chill in fridge overnight
• Remove from fridge, whisk in vodka
• Pour into ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer's directions. 
• Pour in frozen berries when ice cream is almost done. 
• Transfer to container, and chill in freeze till desired texture. I leave it overnight. 

 

Chicken Pot Pie

This recipes is adapted from Gordon Ramsey book, World Kitchen. With Gordon Ramsey visit to Singapore recently and after catching a glimpse of the man himself, it inspired me to make another recipe by the man himself. This is basically a creamy chicken filling top with a light puff pastry baked to golden deliciousness....

I love this recipes and think it taste awesome!!! I adjusted the recipes a little and added a bit of cayenne pepper for that extra kick and a touch of dry basil to lift the flavour of the filling. If you are using store bought puff pastry then this recipes is absolutely easy to make but being me, I prefer to make my own puff pastry. However I am still perfecting my puff pastry hence will not be including it this post.

Recipes

50g         Butter
1             Large onion, chopped
3             Stalk of celery, diced
1             Large carrot, peeled and diced
1             Large potato, peeled and diced
50g         Plain flour
500ml     Chicken stock
1 tsp       Cayenne pepper
1 tsp       Dry basil
Sea salt and Pepper to taste
500g       Boneless, skinless Chicken breast, cut into bite size chunk
300g       Good quality Puff Pastry
1             Egg mixed with 1 tblsp milk to glaze.

• Melt butter in a large wide sauce pan, add onion, celery, carrot and potato. Saute gently for 10 minutes or until vegetable are soft. Add flour, stir well and cook for another 2 min to cook out the flour
• Pour in stock, cream and season with salt / pepper
• Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring frequently for about 5 to 10 minute or until thicken.
• Add chicken and simmer for another 5 minutes or until the piece are just cooked through. 
• Add Cayenne pepper, basil. Taste and adjust seasoning. 
• Take of heat and leave to cool slightly
• Preheat oven to 200 degree C
• Spoon the filling into 1 large or several smaller pie dish to just below the rim. 
• Roll out the pastry to about 3mm thick on a lightly flour counter. 
• Cut out the pastry so that it will be able to form a pie lid on the dish
• Brush the rim with water and place the rolled pastry on the dish. If you wish, you can form pastry leaf and place on top of the pie lid to decorate it. 
• Bake for 50 minutes for large pie dish and 20 to 30 minutes for smaller dish or until the top is golden brown. 

Crumble-toppd Bacon and Cheddar Muffins

Muffins filled with bacon and cheddar cheese topped with a savoury crumble..

Recipes

Dry

100g         Streaky Bacon
150g         Self raising white flour

150g         Self raising whole meal flour
1 tsp         Caster Sugar
1 tsp         Baking powder
1/2 tsp      Mustard powder
100g         Cheddar (grated)
4 tblsp      Parsley (chopped)

Wet

1              Egg (beaten lightly)
275ml       Milk
75g          Melted Butter

Crumple Topping
25g           Butter
40g           Plain flour
25g           Cheddar cheese (finely grated)

• Preheat oven 200 degree C and prepare 12 muffin cup
• Rub all the ingredient for the crumple topping together till resemble bread crumbs and set aside.
• For the muffin, fry the bacon till crispy and brown. Set aside to cool. Add the fat into the melted butter for that extra bacon flavour 
• Mix all the dry ingredient together in a big mixing bowl together till well combine. 
• Mix all the wet ingredient 
• Pour the wet into the dry ingredient and mix lightly. DO NOT over mix. 
• Divide the mixture equally among the 12 muffin cup and top with crumple mixture
• Bake for 20 minutes or muffin top is golden and brown.