Croissant

 It's been a long time since last post. Although I keep baking once in one or two weeks, just lack of motivation to post what I have made.

I always like to bake rye and hearth bread, because I am fond of them. I used to be a person who doesn't like rich bread like Danish pastry or croissant. However, after I had a "almond chocolate croissant" from Bouchon bakery, I begin to try croissants from different bakeries. I like Bouchon's the most so far since their croissant is crispy and flaky. Some might say their croissant is not soft, but I just like the way what it is.

  After many store bought croissants, I decide to make my
own croissant. I used the recipe from Peter Reinhart's "ABED", and the result is quite satisfied for me. It is light, crispy, and smells like heaven! I'll definitely make it again and rolled in different filling next time!

Banana Mocha Sourdough with Cherry

Humming Bird Sourdough

Chocolate 35%Rye Sourdough

Earl Grey Orange 100% Whole Wheat Bread

Sourdough Rye with Dried Pineapple and Pecan

Wheat Bran Muffin vs Oat Bran Muffin

Recently I've tried many bran muffin recipes. Some calls for wheat bran, some for oat bran.

I especially impressed by 2 recipes of each, Nancy Silverton's Bran Muffin I discover on David's blog and Adele's Oat Bran Muffin in the book, "Secrets of A Jewish Baker". The first one has to puree the raisin in the batter, and this step truly boost the flavor in the bran muffin. It makes me think of many variation by substituting the raisin puree with other puree. The latter one impress me by its texture. Oat bran gives the muffin super moisture and gooey yet light and fluffy.I've tried to mash the whole boiled orange in it and made in chocolate version. That was better than brownies for me! Love these bran muffins!

Chocolate Biscotti and Earl Grey Cupcake

Happy new year!
Since I'll go to my aunt's home this new year's eve, I prepare some desserts for them.
The chocolate biscotti is adapted from David Lebovitz's chocolate biscotti recipes and the Earl Grey Chiffon is adapted from 歡迎進入 grace 西點紅茶時間.


I've planned to make David's Marjolaine which is in the book "Ready for Dessert". I've done most of works, making meringue and praline, however, my homemade creme fraiche didn't get thick enough, and I didn't have time make it again, I decided to make my second choice instead.


I'm glad I made this Earl Grey chiffon. It is fantastic! I was worried it would taste like some Christmas treats because the ingredients are involved cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg powder. I am a big fan of these spices but I've already had them the whole December. The result was out of my expect! The smell is not like the same old way the Earl Grey does and you won't notice there are cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. The only thing you know is that it is incredibly savoury. I stuffed the cake with the custard which is made by the egg yolks left from making Marjolain. Super.






I also made the whole wheat bagel. I have to admit that they are not as good as they look. I added extra flour that the recipe calls for because of the fresh blueberries...Anyway, I don't want to talk about it.

Happy new year again.

Banana Bread Crumb Muffin and...

You won't believe how delicious this ugly shape rectangular muffin is! I was shock when I have the first bite, it's unbelievable. This is adapted from Wild Yeast's 'Banana Bread Crumb Muffin', and it is made by stale sourdough bread. I used my whole wheat Turkish coffee pear bread which is adapted from "Heathy Bread in Five Minutes". Beacause I use more whole wheat than the original recipe for the coffee pear bread, I got a horrible result. The gluten have not been developed very well, it was dry and hard to swallow....However, this banana muffin recipe turned somthing into magic! It is soft, tender, moisture and full of flavor. I'll bet You won't notice it was made by a unpalatable whole wheat bread. I finished a whole loaf in one day.@@

Coffee Custard Bread

I'm not a big fan of sweet bread, but I love to make them for the people around me, I always feel bliss when they enjoy the food I've made. Custard bread is one of classic sweet breads in the bakery in Taiwan, and my mother usually bought it to be my breakfast. Yet, I have not tasted the bread which is filled with coffee custard before, I think the combination would make the bread delicious. Coffee-flavor-custard bread, how bad it could be?

Nevertheless, the bread didn't please everyone. Some of them don't think it delicious because it tasted a little bit bitter, but it it totally fit my appetite because of the strong coffee flavor from the espresso powder.

I'm satisfied with this sweet dough recipe, it's also good to make it into cinnamon rolls. It uses straight method which takes not much time but still tastes soft and moisture even after several days. It is both quite easy and deliciou!

If you are the fans of strong coffee, you might like this coffee custard bread!

Ingredients:

For the custard

- 150 ml whole fat milk

- 25 g sugar

- 5 g espresso powder (I used Starbucks VIA)

- 1 egg yolk

- 10 g starch

For the coffee streusel topping

- 3 Tbsp brown sugar

- 3 Tbsp flour

- 1 Tbsp butter, melted

- 1/2 Tbsp Starbucks VIA

- 1/4 tsp cinnamon

For the dough

- 300 g bread flour

- 1/2 tsp instant yeast

- 1 egg

- 30 g sugar

- 1/2 tsp salt

- 150 g whole fat milk

- 40 g butter

1. Mix all ingredients except butter until the gluten has been developed.

2. Add butter and keep kneading the dough until it pass the window pane test.

3. First fermentation: 1~1.5 hours.

4. Divide and preshape the dough into balls, and rest for 20 minutes.

5. Fill the custard into the dough.

6. Final fermentation : 45~60 minutes

7. Bake at 170 degree C for 18~20 minutes.

Mocha Muffin with Chocolate Chunk

I forgot to add the part of butter&chocolate mixure in the batter...@@. Although it is not that moisture, it still tasted pretty good expecially served slightly warmed. I have a good mood for all day long just because having this mini muffin to be my breakfast.


ingredients:
(5 mini muffins)
- 35 g whole wheat pastry flour
- 35 g cake flour
- 7 g dutch process cocoa powder
- 32 g brown sugar
- 40 ml buttermilk (1 cup whole milk + 1 Tbsp lemon juice)
- 28 g bittersweet chocolate
- 15 g + 5 g butter
- 1 egg
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 Tbsp starbucks via

- 1/4 cup chocolate chunk

Chocolate Sorbet - Candied Orange Peel - Cream Scone

I miss Haagen-Dazs dark orange chocolate ice cream so much...I don't know why they won't sell anymore. There is a interesting recipe, chocolate sorbet, which is non-dairy but everyone who has made it said that it is creamy because of cocoa butter. Being a chocoholic, I must give it a try. I added some candied orange peel to fit my appetite, and I almost had half of all at one time. I used Trader Joe's chocolate and Valrhona cocoa powder that gave the sorbet super rich flavor. It is bitter but also super sweet, I can't help myself have one bite from another!


Chocolate Sorbet
adapted from "The Perfect Scoop"
(I added some orange peel in it and top with some chopped pecan, it tastes heavenly ^O^)

Candied Orange Peel
adapted from "Ready for Dessert"

Cream Scones
From Dorie Greenspan’s Baking: From My Home to Yours

1 large egg
2/3 cup cold heavy cream
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and chilled

I'll definitely get fat...