Tuna Quiche

Ingredients:

Base

230 g puff pastry (pasta sfoglia)

Filling

6 (80g) canned tuna, drained
1 onion, chopped, boiled and mashed
3 egg, lightly beaten
3 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp garlic powder
salt to taste (canned tuna is salty)

Method:

Preheat oven to 190-200 °C.

Roll out puff pastry together with the provided parchment paper on a lightly grease pie pan ( 28 cm in diameter); keep in refrigerator till use.

In a large mixing bowl, add-in all the filling ingredients and stir well to incorporate fully.

Spoon the filling mixture into the prepared pie case.

Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until filling is lightly set or till surface is browned as prefer.

Best serve warm or at room temperature for party.

French Crepes

Ingredients:

1 egg
1/3 tsp salt
1/3 tsp sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 ⅓ tbsp butter, melted

Sweet Filling Options:

Jam/Apple butter/Nutella/Chestnut cream/Butter and sugar/Sliced bananas with chocolate sauce and whipped cream or ice-cream/Fresh berries marinated with sugar and grand marnier/crepes suzette

Savory Filling Options:

Grated cheese/Sliced ham/Egg freshly cooked on crepe/Sauteed spinach/Sauteed mushroom in cream sauce/Mushroom and chicken in cream sauce/Shrimp and shelled mussels in cream sauce/Ratatouille/Cooked sausage/Green salad with vinaigrette

Method:

In a large bowl, beat eggs with salt and sugar till dissolved.

Add-in milk and mix thoroughly.

Gradually, add the batter to flour and beat to eliminate lumps.

Pour-in butter and beat to incorporate.

Place the batter into fridge for at least 40 minutes.

Heat a 18 cm frying pan or crepe pan over medium-high heat and grease it lightly with butter (about 5 g each).

Pour-in 1/3 of the batter to the preheated pan and swirl it quickly to coat on the pan.

Cook for 2-3 minutes or till the crepe light golden brown on the bottom.

Flip it over to brown the other side.

Meanwhile, fill-in with a preference filling and fold accordingly.

Transfer the crepe to a serving plate with the seams on the bottom side.

Repeat for the remaining batter.

Best serve immediately.

Yield 3 crepes.

French Baguettes

Ingredients:

1/4 cup lukewarm water
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tbsp dry active yeast

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup lukewarm water

Method:

Dissolve sugar and yeast in warm water, leave for 8 minutes or till foamy.

In a bowl, combine flour and salt.

In another large bowl, combine yeast solution with 1/2 of the flour mixture and the remaining water, stir and mix to form a dough; set aside covered to rise for 3 hours or till triple in size.

Gradually, incorporate-in the remaining flour mixture and knead for 10 minutes or till smooth, supple and elastic.

Transfer dough into a greased bowl and set aside to rise covered for at least 1 hour or till double in size.

Knead lightly and divide dough into 2 portions.

Preheat oven to 230 °C.

Shape each portion into a long baguette, place on a baking sheet and set aside at dry corner covered loosely for at least 30 minutes or till double in size.

As soon as the baguettes have been slashed, moisten the surface either by painting with a soft brush dipped in cold water or with spray.

Place a bowl of boiling water into the oven (for obtaining light baguettes with crusty brown skin and soft internal).

Alternatively, rapidly brush baguettes surface with cold water or spray after every 3 minutes of baking for 3 times.

Bake baguettes for about 25 minutes or till golden brown and give a hollow sound once is thumped (Remove the water after 15 minutes of baking).

For shining crust, brush baguettes surface lightly with cold water as soon as it fresh out from the oven.

Vegetables and Camembert Tart

Ingredients:

Shortcrust Pastry:

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup butter, creamed
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp coarsely grounded black pepper
1 tbsp water
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Tart Filling:

3 carrot, boiled and sliced
1 cup string beans, boiled
125 g Camembert cheese, sliced (can be substitute with Brie or Parmesan Cheese)
1 large tomato, sliced
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup butter
3 eggs
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp black pepper powder
2 ½ tsp salt
zest of 1 lemon (yield about 3 tsp)

Sprinkles:

1/2 tsp chili flakes
1/2 tsp oregano

Method:

To prepare the pastry:

In a large bowl, mix together flour, butter, salt, pepper, water and oil.

Knead into smooth dough (add more oil if necessary till mixture begins to cling together).

Shape dough into ball, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.

To prepare the tart:

Preheat oven to 190 °C.

Roll out the chilled dough into rectangular sheet and transfer it into a medium size baking tray.

Spread-in a layer of carrot slices over the base of tart, follows by another layer of string beans.

Arrange-on third layer with Camembert slices and top-on tomato slices as last layer; set aide.

In a large bowl, melt butter in warm milk; set aside to cool.

Add-in eggs, garlic, pepper, salt and lemon zest, whisk well into homogeneous batter.

Pour batter over the filling.

Sprinkle-on chili flakes and oregano.

Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour or until just set.

Cinnamon Yule Log (Buche de Noel) with Besan Chocolate Paste Filling

Ingredients:

Chickpeas Chocolate Paste Filling:

1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup besan/gram/chickpeas flour
1 cup ghee or butter

1/2 cup whipping cream
80 g bittersweet chocolate
25 g butter
20 ml milk
1 egg, separated
1 tbsp sugar

Genoise Cake:

2 eggs and 4 egg yolks (or use 3 eggs in total)
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon powder
1/2 cup cake flour
1/4 cup cornstarch

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup (55 g) butter
1 ½ cups icing sugar
4 tbsp milk

Method:

To prepare the chickpeas chocolate paste filling:

In a deep bowl, whisk whip cream until stiff; set aside.

Over a double boiler, melt chocolate and butter.

Remove from heat, pour-in milk, stir to incorporate.

Add-in egg yolk to the chocolate mixture one at a time, beat to mix.

In another deep bowl over a double boiler, whisk egg white with sugar till stiff, set aside.

Gently stir-in one-third of whipped cream to the chocolate mixture, fold-in half of egg white, stir to just incorporate, fold-in the remaining white then whipped cream and stir to incorporate well, leave in refrigerator for at least 3o minutes.

In a nonstick pan, boil sugar in water till becomes a thick syrup.

Gradually, stir-in chickpeas flour.

Add-in 1/2 cup ghee, keep stirring the mixture till thicken and dry.

Scramble the paste into powder form.

Add-in the remaining ghee, continue toasting till fragrant and golden brown.

Remove from heat and set aside to cool completely.

Stir-in this fragrant chickpeas powder into the chocolate paste to incorporate fully; set aside in refrigerator if not use shortly.

To prepare the chocolate buttercream frosting:

In a large bowl, cream cocoa and butter over double boiler.

Add-in sugar and continue whisking till fully incorporated.

Add-in milk, whisk till frosting is smooth and spreadable.

Remove from heat and set aside.

To prepare the cake:

Preheat oven to 200 °C.

Line a 10 x 10 inch pan (or also 10 x 15 inch for thinner cake) with parchment paper and grease the paper surface with butter; set aside.

In a bowl, mix together flours; set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together eggs, egg yolks, sugar, salt and cinnamon powder, whisk the mixture over double boiler till pale, creamy and glossy (about 5 minutes).

Remove from double boiler and continue whisking till cool completely (about another 2 minutes).

Gradually, fold-in flours mixture and stir well till homogeneous batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface with spoon or spatula.

Bake in the preheated oven for 12 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of cake comes out clean (do the check by 1o minutes).

Remove from oven and let cool completely on wire rack together with parchment paper.

Run a spatula or knife all around the edges and bottom of the cake.

Inverse cake on to a large plastic wrapper (upside down) and peel off the parchment paper.

Spread-on chickpeas chocolate paste and roll cake up by the help of the plastic support into tight cylinder.

Wrap up properly with the plastic support and keep in refrigerator till set (several hours).

Carefully, unwrap the cake.

Trim both ends and cut one end out diagonally with the size about 2 inches as the branch.

Join two pieces of cakes together on a cake plate to form yule log and frost the prepared chocolate buttercream all over the surface.

Streak the surface with fork to resemble bark and decorate accordingly with meringue mushrooms.

DONE !

Molten Dark Chocolate Cupcakes (Flourless)

Ingredients:

200 g dark/bittersweet chocolate
250 g butter
3 eggs
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
Confectioners' sugar for dusting

Method:

Preheat oven to 230 °C.

Lightly grease 6 foil cupcake molds and coat surface with a thin layer of bread-crumb.

Via double boiler, melt chocolate with butter, remove from heat and set aside.

In a deep bowl, beat eggs, yolk, sugar till thick, pale and fluffy.

Fold warm chocolate-butter mixture into the eggs mixture, whisk to incorporate.

Whisk-in cocoa powder.

Pour batter evenly into prepared molds, place on baking sheet, bake for 10-12 minutes, or until cakes have risen, possess a thin crust, set at outer part and slightly jiggly in center.

Remove from oven, let sit for 1 minute with mold.

Use a plastic knives, loose cakes side from mold's wall.

Carefully invert cake onto hand then place on dessert plate.

Dust top with confectioners' sugar and serve warm immediately.

Serves 6.

Dark Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients:

200 g dark chocolate
50 g unsalted butter
40 ml espresso
30 ml whisky
200 ml whipped cream
2 eggs yolks
2 eggs whites
2 tbsp icing sugar

Method:

Beat whip cream until stiff and keep in refrigerator.

Over a double boiler, melt chocolate and butter.

Remove from heat, pour-in espresso and whisky, stir to incorporate.

In a deep bowl, whisk egg whites till almost stiff, add-in sugar and beat till soft peak form.

Add-in egg yolks to the chocolate mixture one at a time, beat to mix.

Gently stir-in one-third of whipped cream to the chocolate mixture, fold-in half of egg whites, stir to just incorporate, fold-in the remaining whites then whipped cream and stir to incorporate well.

Spoon mousse into individual glasses and chill in refrigerator for at least 8 hours or overnight till set.

Serves 5.

Cream Filled Profiteroles

Ingredients:

1 cup water
2 tbsp milk
50 g butter
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour (Tipo O)
3 eggs
1 tsp baking powder

Whipped Cream Filling:

200 mL whip cream
1/4 cups icing sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate Topping:

1/3 cup whip cream
100 g semisweet chocolate

Method:

Preheat oven to 210 °C.

Grease a cookie sheet.

Heat water, milk, butter, salt and sugar to boil in saucepan.

Pour in flour and stir vigorously over low heat about 1 minutes or until mixture forms a ball.

Remove from heat and let it cool for 5 minutes.

Beat in eggs, one at a time, until smooth and shiny.

Let cool to room temperature and stir in baking powder thoroughly.

Using decorating bag with large round tube, squeeze 2 inch rounds batter onto prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes at 210°C (Do not open oven door during first 15 minutes baking).

Then turn oven down to 180°C and bake for further 15 to 20 minutes or until puffed and golden brown.

Remove from the oven, immediately make a small hole or slit in under each puff to allow the steam to escape to prevents the puffs from collapsing.

Let cool on a large wire cooling rack and pull out any filaments of soft dough.

Using decorating bag with small round tube, fill puffs with whipped cream mixture and ice with chocolate topping or any other favorite dessert topping.

Freeze 2 hours or until dessert is firm.

To Make Whipping Cream Filling:

Begin with thoroughly chilled cream and beater.

Whip the cream on medium speed until slightly thickens.

Add-in sugar and vanilla extract or any flavoring and continue whipping the cream until soft peaks formed (The peak should bend over at the top of the whisk).

To Make Chocolate Topping:

Melt chocolate over double boiler.

Remove from heat.

Add-in whipping cream and mix the mixture until evenly combined.