How to make a homemade Puree' or Compote fruits

Here are my three variety homemade frozen and fresh fruits like Mango, Raspberries and Strawberries. 
Frozen one creates more liquid than the fresh ones but all you have to do is cook it in low heat until they look concentrated. 
Here is your cooking method:
500g Fresh or Frozen fruits
2 Tablespoon of Granulated Sugar
1/4 cup of Water if needed using fresh fruits 
No need to add water on frozen one because they already provide water when they got thawed from your saucepan. Keep an eye when cooking as they evaporate quickly once its boiling and just keep stirring until you notice they all look like puree.
By using our compote or puree fruits you have to put them in your blender  before mixing it to your cake or icings.

Brownies are popular so here is your " COCOA BROWNIES " to make :)

 

 Brownies are popular in every bakery shop...I don't know why but my understanding is they are easy to make and make you keep eating more as many as you can lol... I don't want to intend to make you all fat guys but this is your limitations not mine. I just love to make them and eat too...so here is my additional recipes from my Brownies selection after we had those luscious fudgy fudge brownies :) So, ENJOY!!!

Mix Method:

10 tablespoons (140 grams) unsalted butter

1 1/4 cups (250 grams) granulated white sugar

3/4 cup (75 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch processed

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs, room temperature

1/2 cup (65 grams) all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup (60 ml) sour cream (full or reduced fat)

1/2 cup (85 grams) semi sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips (optional)

Instruction to make:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) and place the oven rack in the center of the oven. Line the bottom and sides of an 8 inch (20 cm) square pan with aluminum foil. (The aluminum foil should hang about two inches (5 cm) over the sides of the pan to make it easy to lift the brownies from the pan.)
2. In a small saucepan melt the butter (can also melt the butter in the microwave). Remove from heat and pour into a large heatproof bowl. Stir (or whisk) in the sugar and cocoa powder. Whisk in the vanilla extract and eggs, one at a time, mixing until the batter is nice and shiny.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Fold this flour mixture into the batter. Finally, fold in the sour cream and chocolate chips.
4. Pour into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for about 28 - 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center has moist crumbs clinging to it. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool to room temperature. Then, to make the brownies easier to cut, cover and place in the refrigerator for two hours or until firm. When ready to cut the brownies, lift the aluminum foil out of the pan and, with a sharp knife, cut the brownies.

Makes 16 brownies.

Fudgy Fudge Brownies

Preheat your oven to 180 C or 350 Degrees F
use a standard Cookie Sheet pan size 12" x 18 "

 Mix Method:

1 cup Plain flour
1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
3/4 tsp Salt
1 cup - 175 g  Nestle Plaistowe Couverture Dark Chocolate
1 cup - 175 g Nestle Semi Sweet Chocolate
226g 2 sticks Softened Butter 
6 Large Eggs
2 1/2 cup Caster Sugar
2 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
1 1/2 cup Walnuts ( optional ) if your allergic to nuts do not use it.

Procedure:

Combine the sugar, eggs, and vanilla extracts in a large bowl then whisk together to incorporate evenly.
In a microwavable safe bowl  melt your chocolate and butter together in 25 sec by 3 increments interval through stirring until they are all mixed together.
Sift all the dry ingredients set aside.
Add the melted chocolate and butter mixture to your egg/sugar mixture then whisk to incorporate.
Add all the dry ingredients at once and mix just until combined do not over mixed.
Then add Nuts if desired, then pour the batter in your prepared pan make sure you greased and lined with parchment paper.

Bake in a preheated oven for approximately 20-25 minutes or Until its Done!

Use a toothpick to test when your brownies is Done...if its clean meaning it is cooked.

Here are Fudge Icing for your brownies :
 1/2 cup Caster Sugar
1/4 cup Thickened Cream
28 g Semi Sweet Chocolate
177 g  Dark Chocolate Chips Easy Melt
2 tablespoon Glucose
1/4 cup Softened butter
1/4 cup Thickened cream set aside ( warm )
2 cups Confectioners Sugar

Melt the thickened cream and sugar until sugar dissolved. Add this to your chocolate, butter and glucose mixture. Do not scorch the chocolate. Melt all your ingredients slowly until smooth.
Sift your Confectioners sugar then put it into your Stand Mixer using your paddle attachment. Then add your chocolate mixture then mix in low speed until combined, then increased to medium-high to smooth out any lumps. Then you will used your reserved portion warm of thickened cream for depending on how you want your consistency.
Use immediately on your brownies. Once this icing becomes cold, it will harden as that is the nature of chocolate and butter recipes. But you can smooth them back to add 1-2 tablespoon of warmed thickened cream and mixed it back to your stand mixer.

ENJOY EVERYONE!!!

Best Chocolate banana Cake

Chocolate Banana Cake:

2 cups (400 grams) caster white sugar

1 3/4 cups (245 grams) Plain flour

3/4 cup (75 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder (regular or Dutch-processed)

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

2 frozen Bananas or ripe mashed bananas

1 cup (240 ml) warm water

1/2 cup (120 ml) milk

1/2 cup (120 ml) corn, safflower or canola oil (or other flavorless oil)

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Chocolate Ganache Frosting:

8 ounces (227 grams) melted chocolate buttons

3/4 cup (180 ml) thickened cream

1 tablespoon unsalted butter 

Mix method:

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place rack in the center of the oven. Butter, or spray with a non stick vegetable spray, a 9 x 13 inch (23 x 33 cm) pan. Set aside.  In a large bowl whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In another large bowl, whisk together the eggs, mashed bananas, water, milk, oil, and vanilla extract. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir, or whisk, until combined. You will notice that the batter is quite thin. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.  
Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. When completely cooled, frost with the Ganache.

Ganache: 
 Place the  buttons melt chocolate in a medium sized stainless steel, or heatproof bowl. Set aside. Heat the cream and butter in a medium sized saucepan over medium heat (can also be heated in the microwave). Bring just to a boil. Immediately pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. When Ganache has completely cooled, beat until soft and fluffy (I use a wire whisk). Then spread the frosting on top of the cake. Can garnish with dried banana chips.

Serves 16 people.

Pate Au Choux - pronounced as " Patty Shoe "

 pâte à choux - pronounced as " Patty Shoe " ( Profiteroles or Eclairs ) they come from French bakery spread all over the recipe around the world...
Learning to make this fancy little egg shell is not easy. As I find it hard to make it right. Reading and doing some research how to get it perfect is to remember your TIME AND TEMPERATURE.  How humid is the air today? Which will directly influence your flour. Your dough should be of pipeable consistency when you pipe them into your parchment paper it holds its SHAPE.

HERE ARE THE MIX METHOD:
Make sure you PREHEAT YOUR OVEN TO 200 C - 400 DEGREES F
Milk 4 oz - 1/2 cup
Water 4 oz - 1/2 cup
Butter 112g - 1 stick
Sugar 1g - 1 tsp
Salt 1g - 1/4 tsp
Bread Flour or Plain Flour  130g - 1 cup
Fresh Large Eggs 200g each (4-5)

In a large pot combine the water and milk with butter, sugar and salt. Bring to boil and add the flour all at once. Using your wooden spoon stir in to moisten the flour. The mixture will turn into a mass of dough that will ball up around the spoon. The cooking process can take almost 5 minutes. Once dough is cook you can transfer now to your electric mixer using your paddle attachment and beat it in low speed to mix the dough and steam will evaporate. Then add the egg one at time. Let the first egg absorbed to the mixture until they become smooth then add the second and so forth until the egg/mixture will become fairly stiff dough not runny. To make sure when you pipe the Choux it will hold on its shape on the sheet pan. Use your 18" plastic piping bag and snip the tip into small size like on your coupler circle shape. Then pipe straight into your parchment paper then lift the bag quickly to create a pointer on the top. Like a shoe shape. Spray lightly of water to enhance the steam heat that helps this delicate pastry to rise... BAKE IT FOR 20 MINUTES BUT BEWARE THEY ARE NOT TOTALLY COOKED YET!!!

Here are the example of my Eclairs are half cooked in the middle when you open there shells. What happens if there are still eggy mixture in the inside you have to leave it more in the oven for another 20 minutes into 200 Celsius temp. But do not take the whole tray when testing it. Just pick one shell and try to open until the eggy mixture inside the shell will disappear.

HERE IS OUR PERFECT PATE AU CHOUX DONE IN ABOUT 60 MINS COOKED IN THE HOT TEMP OF 200 D IN THE OVEN.

Store Baked Puff shells in the freezer in your ziplock bag for up to a month or 1 week airtight container. Served with pastry cream inside and drizzle with simple ganahce chocolate on top :)

HAPPY BAKING EVERYONE!!!

How to make a Vanilla Custard...

Vanilla Custard - professionally known as Pastry Cream.

Here are the Ingredients:
2 cups - 475ml Milk, Whole Milk
1 Fresh large eggs
2 Fresh egg yolks
1/2 cup - 100 grams Caster Sugar
1/4 cup -28 grams Corn flour
1 Vanilla Bean or 1 TBSP Vanilla Extract
3 tbsp  Unsalted butter



Mix Method:
In a medium bowl place the whole egg, egg yolks and cornstarch with 2 Tablespoons of the sugar and whisk vigorously to smooth out any lumps.
Meanwhile, in a large pot combine the milk and remaining sugar with the vanilla bean split and scraped of all it’s seeds and bring to a boil.
Once the milk comes to a boil you will remove from the heat and slowly pour the hot milk mixture into the eggs/cornstarch mixture while constantly whisking with your free hand. This takes some finesse, and is often aided by using a damp towel folded up under your bowl to prevent it from flying off the counter and across the room while your both hands are occupied!
This is called “tempering the eggs”. You must do this step otherwise you will have scrambled eggs if you simply pour the egg mixture straight into the boiling milk.
Once you have poured about half of the milk into the eggs, you have sufficiently brought the eggs to temperature and it is now safe to pour the entire egg mixture back into the pot with the rest of the milk. Place back on the stove over high heat and while constantly stirring with a wooden spoon, you will cook until the entire mixture reaches 140` Degrees F and is thickened.
This temperature is also known as “Nappe`” in French which means “to Cover”. This simply means that if you run your finger along the back of the spoon, it will leave a track mark. The custard has now “covered” the spoon in thickness.
Be careful not to over cook the custard at this point or you will have once again, Scrambled Eggs! We are not making Breakfast here guys! We are making fine French recipes!!!
Remove from heat, discard the vanilla bean and add the butter stirring until is is melted and completely incorporated. If you are using vanilla extract, you will add it now.
Using a fine mesh strainer you will pour this custard through to get out any cooked bits of egg or any lumps that remain.
Very Important to get this custard cooled as fast as possible to 45 Degrees F in less than 2 hours.
The way to do this, is by pouring the hot custard into a shallow dish (like a 9X13″ casserole dish is perfect) and getting it straight into the refrigerator. An added precaution is to set that dish over another dish filled with ice water. This will speed the cooling process and ensure you are safe from any danger that can be caused from this type of egg rich and dairy custard from entering the DANGER ZONE
Plastic wrap directly on the surface of the custard with prevent a “skin” from forming over your custard as it cools.
Store this fresh custard tightly wrapped at all times, for up to one week in the refrigerator. This custard can be used in many different pastry applications however you must be sure to keep your finished product under refrigeration at all times.
With the maximum room temperature exposure being 2 hours. (This is usually more than enough time to display the cake or pastries with custard filling at the party).
*You may find that your custard seeps moisture after a day or so, this is normal as the starches will tend to break down. Another reason why it is good to make and use your custard right away rather than prepare too many days in advance. So although this recipe WILL be fine for up to a week, fresh is always best. You can simply spoon off the excess water that may pool at the bottom of your storage container.