pink and white petit fours

toffee apple sorbet with salted caramel

florentine tart

 

Florentine Tartlets with Frangipane 
adapted from Junior Masterchef and taken from 
http://maribermaindidapur.blogspot.com/2011/02/florentine-tarts-with-frangipane.html

sable pastry:
225 gr plain flour
75 gr icing sugar
pinch of salt
150 gr unsalted butter, chilled, diced
1 egg

frangipane:
40 gr unsalted butter
40 gr caster sugar
1 egg
1 egg white
60 gr almond meal

topping:
50 gr honey
50 gr caster sugar
50 gr unsalted butter
50 gr flaked almonds
60 gr glaced cherries
20 gr cornflakes
100 gr dark chocolate

direction:

1. preheat oven to 180 degree C.
2. pastry: sift flour, icing sugar, and salt in a large bowl. add the butter, rubs until resembles fine breadcrumbs. mix in egg and knead dough until just combined.
3. place half the dough in between 2 sheets of baking paper and roll out as thin as possible approx. 3mm. refrigerate. reserve remaining in fridge.
4. frangipane: add butter and sugar to the chopper attachment of stick blender and blend until thick and creamy, use a spoon to scrape the sides of the chopper if required. add egg and egg white and process until combined. add almond meal and process until combined.
5. grease 6x8cm loose based tart pans. remove chilled pastry from fridge, using a 10cm round pastry cutter, cut discs from pastry and use to line the prepared tart pans and trim any excess pastry.
6. spoon frangipane mixture evenly between 6 tart shells, place on a baking tray and bake in oven for 12-15 minutes or until cooked through and golden. remove tartlets from oven and let cool for 2-3 minutes.
7. topping: combine honey, sugar, and butter in a medium saucepan, stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved and mixture become foamy. add almonds, cherries and cornflakes and stir gently until combined.
8. place chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, stir chocolate until just melted, spoon into piping bag, using scissors snip the end to make a small hole. spoon the topping onto the tarts, then drizzle with chocolate to serve.

* I don't like the taste of honey so used golden syrup
* I don't like dark chocolate so used Cadbury dairy milk
* remember to roll sable thinner, I didn't :(

strawberry jelly mini whoopy pie with coconut butter cream

Cake recipe

125 g butter, chopped (soft)
1 tsp vanilal essence
3/4 cup castor sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup self raising flour
1/2 cup milk

combine all ingredients in mixing bowl, beat on low till mixture combined.
beat on medium or high till smooth.

place in desired pan and bake as you know (use moderate heat and bake until as light/dark as you like)

coconut butter cream (used as filling and spread on the middle one)
used regular butter cream recipe and added coconut essence and folded toasted coconut through

for the jelly coating :

used strawberry jam with added pink food coloring , added a little water, heat till thin but thick enough to coat cakes, roll in desicated coconut.

mini red velvet cup cakes with cream cheese frosting

the recipe was taken from the dulcedo blog, i also tried the recipe on the tartelette website but found this one to be more popular and tastier.

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting

Makes about 30 cupcakesCupcakes
Adapted from a recipe from The Confetti Cakes Cookbook by Elisa Strauss & Christi Matheson, via The New York Times and Smitten Kitchen (whew!)
3 1/2 cups cake flour, sifted
1/2 cup unsweetened, high-quality cocoa (not Dutch process), sifted
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 cups canola oil
2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
6 tablespoons (3 ounces) red food coloring, or 1 teaspoon red gel food coloring dissolved in 6 tablespoons of water
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar

Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting
Adapted from a recipe from the Cupcake Bakeshop
24 ounces (3 packages) cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
8-10 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste

To Make the Cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Whisk together the cake flour, cocoa, and salt in a medium-size bowl. Set aside

Place oil and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater and beat at medium speed until well blended. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add red food coloring and beat slowly to combine. (Take care -- it may splash.) Add vanilla. Add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the buttermilk and beginning and ending with the flour. Beat until just combined.

Place baking soda in a small dish, stir in vinegar until dissolved, and add to batter with machine running. Beat for 10 seconds.

Fill your cupcake containers of choice 3/4 full. Give each cupcake a quick stir with a toothpick just prior to baking to ensure even coloring throughout. Bake for 25-30 minutes* or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting or decorating as desired.

*For 4-ounce souffle cups, which are slightly larger than the wells of a standard cupcake pan.

To Make the Frosting:
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat together the cream cheese and butter until well blended. Add 8 cups of confectioners' sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla bean paste and beat until combined. Add more sugar until you reach your desired consistency and sweetness.

Dulcedo blog recipe

baby shower short bread

vanilla short bread

fondant icing

chocolate mud cake

chocolate chiffon cake

mix ideal milk and sugar

use 2/3 to pour over cake

mix 1/3 with chocolate to make ganache