Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cups (280g) all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon baking soda
1 bar unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup (200g) sugar
2/3 cup (115g) packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups (340g) store-bought chocolate chips
1 cup (100g) finely chopped pecans

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 190ºC/375ºF. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.Sift together the flour, salt and baking soda.Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed for about 1 minute, until smooth. Add the sugars and beat for another 2 minutes or so, until well blended. Beat in the vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each egg goes in. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients in 3 portions, mixing only until each addition is incorporated. On low speed, or by hand with a rubber spatula, mix in the chocolate and nuts. The dough can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen. If you’d like, you can freeze rounded tablespoonfuls of dough, ready for baking. Freeze the mounds on a lined baking sheet, then bag them when they’re solid. There’s no need to defrost the dough before baking – just add another minute or two the baking time.Spoon the dough by slightly rounded tablespoonfuls* onto the baking sheets, leaving about 5cm (2in) between spoonfuls.Bake the cookies – one sheet at a time and rotating the sheets at the midway point – for 10 to 12 minutes, or until they are brown at the edges and golden in the center; they may be still a little soft in the middle, and that’s just fine. Pull the sheet from the oven and allow the cookies to rest for 1 minute, then carefully using a wide metal spatula, transfer them to racks to cool to room temperature.Repeat with the remainder of the dough, cooling the baking sheets between batches.

Pan-Fried Steak

Place steak in pan. ( 1 minute per side, total 2 minutes for both sides of the steak )

Use your left hand to hold the handle of the pan and tilt the pan at a 45 degree angle, allowing most of the oil to ooze down away from the steak.

With your right hand, hold the steak vertically with a pair of tongs. Then pan sear all edges of the steak in the oil to a light crisp. ( 1 1/2 minutes, or until nicely browned )

Next, bring the pan back to its normal position, in contact with the stove. Place the steak back in the pan. ( cook for another 45 seconds to 1 minute per side )

When the steak is cooked, remove, and let it rest to allow juices to redistribute themselves for that perfect even color. ( 3 minutes )

Ingredients:
1 piece 1/2 inch thick, rib eye steak ( approximately 14 oz )
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce ( preferably Lea & Perrin )
4 tbsp olive oil
7 oz button mushroom, sliced
1/2 a white onion, cut into rings

1) Rub both sides of the steak with salt first. Then with black pepper, cumin powder, cayenne pepper, worcestershire sauce, and lastly olive oil.

2) Refrigerate for an hour or preferably overnight.

3) Remove steak from refrigerator 15 minutes before cooking.

4) Heat pan until really hot. Saute onions until slightly fragrant in 1 tbsp olive oil. Add mushroom and continue stir-frying for 1 minute. Dish up and set aside.

5) Pan-fry steaks in 2 tbsp olive oil using the above cooking tips.

Oyster Cake

Ingredients
30 fresh oysters (small ones)
110g sweet potato flour
250ml water
1 tsp salt
2 large eggs
2 tbsp chopped spring onions
1 tbsp chopped chives
4 tbsp oil

Ground ingredients (well combined)
3 cloves garlic
2 shallots
1 tbsp chilli paste
1/2 tbsp coriander powder
A dash of pepper

Method
Soak oysters in water.
Mix sweet potato flour, salt and water into a thin runny batter and leave aside.
Heat oil in a non-stick wok or pan. Scoop out two ladles of batter onto the wok. Give a quick stir and crack in the eggs one at a time. Stir quickly, then push cooked batter to the side of the wok.
Add 2 tbsp oil to the wok; add ground ingredients and saute well. Add in oysters. Cook for a minute and combine the egg and sweet potato flour batter together with the oysters.
Add pepper and sprinkle with chopped spring onions and chives. Give it a stir then dish out and serve with chilli garlic sauce.

Kiam Peng

Ingredients
3 cups of rice (measure using the cup that comes supplied together with the rice cooker)
2 large chicken drumsticks and chicken thighs (chopped to bit sizes)
5 chinese dried mushrooms (pre-soaked in a bowl of water and cut to half or quarters. Do not throw away the water used for soaking)
2 chinese lap cheongs (chinese sausages) (sliced)
4 bulbs shallots (sliced thinly)
5 slices of ginger (more if you like a stronger ginger taste)
2 tablespoons of cooking oil
warm water

Marinade for chicken
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 teaspoon of white pepper powder
1 teaspoon of sesame oil
1 tablespoon of chinese cooking wine

Seasoning
5 teaspoons of light soya sauce
1 tablespoon of dark soya sauce

Method
Soak rice in water for about 1 1/2 hours. Marinade chicken for the same length of time.
Heat oil in wok and fry shallots till golden brown. Remove fried shallots.
With remaining oil in wok and at high heat, add pre-soaked chinese dried mushrooms and ginger and stir fry for about 1 minute. Add marinated chicken and stir fry for another minute.
Add pre-soaked rice and seasoning and continue frying for about 2 minutes. Sprinkle a little bit of warm water to keep the rice from drying out.
Remove rice with ingredients into the rice cooker. Place the lap cheongs over the rice. Pour water (previously used to soak dried chinese mushrooms) gently over the rice to cover the rice just like how you would usually cook white rice in a rice cooker. Add plain water if the water used to soak dried chinese mushrooms is insufficient. Turn on your rice cooker and let it cook.
Serve hot and sprinkle fried shallots over the rice prior to serving.

Tofu with Minced-Pork

Ingredients
1 tube Japanese Tofu (cut into 15 cm thickness)
50 grammes of minced pork
1 piece of shiitake mushroom (chopped finely)
3 slices of carrot (chopped finely)

Marinade
1 teaspoon light soya sauce
1/2 teaspoon fish sauce
a couple of dashes of white pepper powder
1 teaspoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
a pinch of msg (optional)
1/2 teaspoon corn flour

Method
Mix minced pork with carrots and mushrooms. Add marinade and allow it to stand for at least 15 minutes.
Place cut tofu on plate or spoons. Add a portion of meat onto the top of the tofu (the meat will shrink when it is cooked).
Bring water to boil in steamer before placing tofu into steamer. Steam for about 10 minutes or until meat is cooked. Serve hot.

Stemed Minced Pork With Salted Eggs

Ingredients

1/4 k ground pork

5 tsp clear stock

2 tsp flour

2 tsp soy sauce

2 salted eggs, separated

1/4 t 1 tsp. sesame oilDirections

Mince the pork. Mix in the flour, the egg whites and sesame oil and blend well. Spread the mixture in a shallow heat-proof dish and pour the egg yolks whole on top of the meat.
Place the dish in a steamer and steam over high heat for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the pork is cooked. Pour the clear stock over the pork, sprinkle with the soy sauce, and serve.

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Ingredients:

150g minced pork or pork, thinly sliced

3 eggs

400ml chicken stock

2 salted duck eggs

1/2 onion or some shallots

2 cloves of garlic

light soy sauce

sugar

Chinese wine

sesame oil

Spring onions

Directions:

Prepare necessary equipment for steaming.

Ideally a large wok with a steamer attachment.

Get the steam going over a high heat.

Marinate your pork with a bit of soy sauce, Chinese wine and sesame oil.

Finely dice up your onion and garlic and stir-fry it with the minced pork.

Add a pinch of sugar to taste. You should decide how much you want to add. The pork should be savoury with a subtle sweetness.

Spread the pork mixture into a heatproof bowl.

Wash your salted duck eggs, and crack them open.

You only want to keep the semi-hard yolks.

Nestle these in the pork mixture, either whole or broken up in bits. Try and make them quite chunky, or else you can't taste them when you eat.

Beat the eggs with a pair of chopsticks.

Combine it with the stock.

Add a pinch of salt to taste.

When the mixture is well blended, strain it into the bowl with the pork and duck egg yolks.

Steam the bowl over high heat for 5-10 minutes, then reduce to a low-medium flame/heat and steam for an additional 15-20 minutes.

The custard should be wobbly and set, but not hard.

Sprinkle some soy sauce and sesame oil over the finished custard as well as some chopped spring onions.

Eat it with rice.

Barbecued Pork Spareribs

1kg (2lb) pork spare ribs

4 tablespoons barbecue sauce

4 tablespoons honey

4 tablespoons brown vinegar

1 tablespoon Chinese chilly sauce
1/4 teaspoon five spice powder

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 clove garlic

2.5cm (1 in.) piece ginger

Put pork spare ribs in large saucepan of water. Bring to boil, reduce heat, simmer covered 20 minutes, this helps remove any excess fat.

Combine the barbecue sauce, honey, vinegar, chili sauce, five spice powder, dry sherry, soy sauce, crushed garlic and grated ginger, mix well. Put pork spare ribs into baking dish, pour sauce over, leave to stand one hour; turn occasionally.

Bake in moderately hot oven one hour, or until pork is tender, baste frequently.

Sweet and Sour Pork

1.25kg (2 1/2lb) lean pork chops

2 teaspoons sugar

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon dry sherry

1 egg yolk

1 large onion

8 shallots

1 red pepper

125g (40oz) mushrooms
1 medium cucumber

2 sticks celery

3 tablespoons oil

470g (15oz) can pineapple pieces

2 tablespoons tomato sauce

1/4 cup white vinegar

1 cup water

1 chicken stock cube

1 1/2 tablespoons corn flour

Combine sugar, 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce, sherry and egg yolk, stir well. Cut meat into 2.5cm (1 in.) cubes, place into soy sauce mixture, stir until meat is coated. Cover, leave one hour, stir occasionally.

Drain meat from marinade, reserve liquid. Toss meat lightly in corn flour. Heat oil, cook meat until golden brown and cooked through, about seven minutes. Do this in several batches so meat browns well; drain well.

Peel and slice onion; slice shallots diagonally; slice pepper thickly, remove seeds; slice mushrooms and celery, cut the cucumber into quarters, lengthwise, remove seeds, cut cucumber into slices.

Heat three tablespoons oil in large pan, add all the prepared vegetables, sauté three minutes. Drain pineapple and add pineapple syrup to pan with marinade from meat, remaining soy sauce, tomato sauce, vinegar and crumbled stock cube. Blend extra corn flour and water, add to pan, stir until sauce boils and thickens. Add pineapple pieces, season with salt and pepper.. Add pork, stir until combined.

Honey Chili Chicken

1.5 kg (3lb) chicken

2.5cm (1in.) piece green ginger

2 tablespoon honey

2 teaspoons corn flour

1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon Chinese chili sauce

1/3 cup lemon juice

2 tablespoons soy sauce

6 shallots

flour

salt

Cut chicken into serving size pieces. Coat chicken pieces lightly with flour, which has been seasoned with salt.

Fry half the chicken in deep hot oil until golden brown. Reduce heat, cook approximately five minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Remove from oil, drain on absorbent paper. repeat with remaining chicken. Pour off excess oil, leaving one tablespoon of oil in pan.

Add peeled and grated green ginger to pan, sauté gently one minute. Add honey, stir for one minute. Add combined corn flour, water, chili sauce, lemon juice and soy sauce. Stir until sauce boils and thicken.

Add chicken , toss in sauce for three minutes or until chicken is heated through. Add sliced shallots, cook for a further minute.

Korean BBQ

INGREDIENTS

680 g beef top sirloin, thinly sliced
9 cloves garlic, minced
1 pear - peeled, cored, and minced
3 green onions, thinly sliced
90 ml soy sauce
40 g white sugar
20 ml sesame oil
20 ml rice wine
15 g sesame seeds
3 g minced fresh ginger
freshly ground black pepper to taste (optional)

DIRECTIONS
In a large resealable plastic bag, combine beef with garlic, pear, green onions, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, rice wine, sesame seeds, fresh ginger, and ground black pepper. Seal, and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.
Preheat grill pan over high heat. Brush oil over grill pan, and add beef. Cook, turning to brown evenly, for 3 to 6 minutes, or until done.

You may eat this by tearing off a small piece of lettuce ("face up," with the bottom of the rib facing down) and wrap around the freshly grilled meat and make a bite-size sandwich.

Extreme Chocolate Cheesecake

Crust:

2 1/2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs

2 tablespoons chocolate sugar (Chocolate sugar is sugar stored in an airtight container for at least 3 months with cocoa beans. Discard beans when using sugar.)

6-8 tablespoons butter, melted

White Chocolate Layer:

20 ounce cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup chocolate sugar

3 eggs, room temperature

8 ounces milk chocolate chips, melted

1 tablespoon vanilla

1/4 cup condensed milk

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons cornstarch

Milk Chocolate Layer:

20 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup chocolate sugar

3 eggs

8 ounces white chocolate chips, melted

1 tablespoon vanilla

1/4 cup condensed milk

2 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons cornstarch
Fudge Cake Mix.

Dark Chocolate Ganache Frosting:

2 cups heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons powdered sugar

24 ounces dark chocolate chips

Crust:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Mix all ingredients together and press into the bottom of a 10-inch springform pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

White Chocolate Layer:

Cream together cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time then add remaining ingredients and mix until combined. Do not over mix. Pour white chocolate layer into a pan and refrigerate until you've finished mixing milk chocolate layer.

Milk Chocolate Layer:

Cream together cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time then add remaining ingredients and mix until combined. Do not over mix. Pour milk chocolate layer on top of white chocolate layer and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes.

Fudge Cake Layer:

Prepare store bought cake mix as directed on package for 2 layer cake. Pour into 10-inch round battered and floured cake pan. Add batter until about 2/3 full and bake as directed. Remove from oven and cool. Torte cake by cutting it in 2 layers horizontally making about 1-inch cake layers. Put cooled, torted cake on top of cooled cheesecake.

Dark Chocolate Ganache Frosting:

In a heavy pan heat whipping cream, butter and powdered sugar to a boil while whisking constantly. Place chips in a large stainless steel bowl, add hot cream mixture and let set for 5 minutes. Whisk together until smooth. Let cool until it reaches spreading consistency. Cover assembled cheesecake. Garnish with as much chocolate as you can stand.

Molten Chocolate Cake

7 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
11 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and flour 6 ramekins.

Place 5 1/2 ounces of the chocolate and the butter in the top of a double boiler, and melt them over simmering water.

Using a mixer with a whisk attachment, beat the eggs, egg yolks and sugar together until pale and thick, about 8 minutes. Reduce speed and add flour. Add the chocolate mixture and continue beating until glossy, about another 5 minutes.

Divide half the mixture into the ramekins. Divide the remaining chopped chocolate among the ramekins, making a little pile in the middle of each one. Top with the rest of the batter.

Bake until just set around the edges, but the center still jiggles. About 12 minutes. DO NOT overcook.

Cool just a few minutes and unmold each cake onto a plate.

Chocolate Fondue Cupcakes

3 cups flour

3 sticks unsalted butter

1 1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 cup chocolate chips

1/3 cup veg oil

1/4 cup marshamallows

Preheat oven to 350.

To make crust, combine flour, sugar, butter, baking soda, and salt with your hands until it forms a dough. Roll the dough out into a thick layer (1/2"-1"), and place the dough over an oiled muffin tin. Place a second cupcake tin, oiled on the flip side, over the dough, using your fingers and a little common sense to adjust any spots where the dough looks like it might not make it through the process. Bake for 10 minutes, pull out the muffin tins, and push the top tin down -- it should stick. Bake for another 10 minutes, then take the top tin off carefully and bake for another 5 minutes or until brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Combine the chocolate chips, veg oil and marshmallows in a small saucepan and heat over low heat, stirring continuously. When this mixture has liquefied, remove it from the heat.Skewer a few marshmallows, pieces of fruit or whatever else you like to dip. Remove the cupcake shells from the tin, use a food scissor to carefully cut them apart from one another and fill them up with chocolate and decorate with skewers.

Sweet Potato Cupcake

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 1/4 c sweet potato puree

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together, brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, and eggs. Add dry ingredients, and whisk until smooth. Whisk in sweet potato purée. Divide batter evenly among liners, filling each about halfway. Bake until tops spring back when touched, and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating pans once if needed. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool.

For the filling:

Whipped together 8 oz of mascarpone cheese with 2 tbsp of maple syrup. Stuck the pastry bag right into the center of the cupcake and squirt some filling in.

The Frosting:

2 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons half and half
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add milk and brown sugar, stir to combine. Boil vigorously for 1 minute. Remove from heat and beat in 1/2 cup powdered sugar. Cool slightly and beat in the vanilla and add the remaining powdered sugar, add more half in half. Quickly spoon over cupcakes before glaze sets.

Apple Cupcake

1/4 c all purpose flour
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 bar + 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened & room temp
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp finely grated lemon or orange zest
1 cup whole milk

Apple Toppings:

3 tbsp unsalted butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3 granny smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

Cinnamon Frosting:

1 unsalted butter, softened at room temp
1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon

To cook the apples:

Place butter and sugar in a large fry pan over low-medium heat. Stir to dissolve sugar. Add apple slices and cook for 8-10 minutes or until apples are lightly caramelized. Remove apples from pan and let cool completely.

To make the cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 325F. Line 24 4-fl-oz-capacity muffin wells with paper liners.Sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Set aside dry ingredients.In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally. Beat in the vanilla and grated zest. On low speed, add the flour mixture and mix until flour is barely incorporated. Add the milk and mix until just smooth.Divide the batter among lined muffin wells, filling each well about 2/3 full. Top with the apples.Bake at 325F until a cake tested comes out clean, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from pan and cool cupcakes on cooling racks. Make sure cupcakes are completely cooled before frosting.

To frost the cupcakes:

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the confectioner's sugar and cinnamon and beat for another 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Frost the cupcakes with an icing spatula or piping bag. Optional: Lightly dust frosted cupcakes with 2-3 tsp ground cinnamon.

Molten Lava Cakes

6 (1-ounce) squares bittersweet chocolate
2 (1-ounce) squares semisweet chocolate
1 1/4 stick butter
1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 1/2 c confectioners' sugar
3 large eggs
3 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp orange liqueur

Preheat oven to 425F.

Melt the chocolates and butter in the microwave, or in a double boiler. Add the flour and sugar to chocolate mixture. Stir in the eggs and yolks until smooth. Stir in the vanilla and orange liqueur.
Divide the batter evenly among the custard cups. Place in the oven and bake for 14 minutes. The edges should be firm but the center will be runny. Run a knife around the edges to loosen and invert onto dessert plates.

Lemon Cupcakes

1-1/2 cups flour
3/4 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup vegetable oil
4 egg yolks (approximately 3 ounces)
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon extract
5 egg whites (approximately 5 ounces)
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 cup sugar

Sift flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder into a bowl.

In a medium bowl, combine oil, egg yolks, lemon juice, lemon extract, and lemon rind. Stir to combine.

On a low setting, start to beat the dry mixture and slowly add the wet. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat until incorporated.

Transfer mixture to another bowl. Wash and dry mixer bowl.

Whip egg whites with whip attachment on medium-high speed until foamy. With the mixer on medium speed, add cream of tarter and slowly add sugar. Beat on high speed until stiff peaks form.

Scoop a cupful of the stiff egg whites into the batter and stir to combine. This should lighten up the batter.

Transfer the batter to the egg whites and gently fold until there are no more streaks of egg white.

Scoop into cupcake cups about 2/3s full and bake at 350 F for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Orange Chiffon Cupcake with Meringue Buttercream

2 large egg whites
1/3 c sugar
2 c sifted cake flour
3/4 c granulated sugar
1/4 c vanilla infused sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp orange liqueur
1 c half-and-half
1/2 c canola oil
2 large egg yolks
2 tsp finely grated orange zest

Meringue Buttercream:

1/4 c water
1 c granulated sugar
1/4 c vanilla infused sugar
1/2 c egg whites (about 6 large egg whites) at rm temp
1 1/2 c unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces, at rm temp
1 c confectioners' sugar
2 tbsp orange liqueur
2 tsp finely grated orange zest

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a medium grease free bowl, beat egg whites to soft peaks with an electric mixer. Slowly add 1/3 cup of sugar and beat to stiff peaks. Set aside.

In a large bowl, sift together the cake flour, sugars, baking powder and salt. Add remaining ingredients and beat with same mixer (no need to wash beaters) until combined (about 1 minute). Fold egg whites into the batter being careful not to deflate the egg whites. Spoon mixture, a little over half full, into each cupcake cup liner. Bake for approximately 18 minutes or until skewer inserted comes out clean. Let cupcakes cool in pan for about 5 minutes then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make Buttercream:

Place water and sugars in a small saucepan. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil over medium heat and continue to cook for approximately 5 minutes. Sugar will be dissolved. Whip egg whites in a stand mixer (make sure bowl is grease free) to stiff peaks. Slowly add hot sugar syrup to egg whites and continue beating on high speed until bowl is cool to the touch about 10 to 15 minutes. Add butter a piece at a time and mix completely before adding the next piece of butter. Repeat until all butter has been used. Add confectioners' sugar. Mix to combine. Add orange liqueur and 2 teaspoons of zest. Mix to combine. Frosting will be smooth and creamy.

Generously frost cupcakes with a piping bag or spatula and top with coarsely grated orange zest.

Vanilla Cupcake with Dulce De Leche Buttercream

1/4 c shortening
1/2 c unsalted butter, softened
1 c sugar
3 eggs, separated
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 c all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 c buttermilk
1/2 c evaporated milk
1/2 c condensed milk
1/2 c coconut milk
1 c dessicated coconut

Dulce de Leche Buttercream:

1can condensed milk
2 egg yolks
3/4 c sugar
3 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 c water
1 tsp vanilla extract
14 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 c powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the shortening, butter, and sugar until light and fluffy on medium speed; add egg yolks 1 at a time, beating until all the yellow disappears. Add the vanilla. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Add alternately with the buttermilk to the creamed mixture beginning and ending with the flour.

In a small bowl, beat the egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold into cake batter. Fill standard paper-lined muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes.

Transfer cupcakes to wire rack that has been placed over a baking sheet to cool. While cupcakes are still warm, stir together the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and the coconut milk. Using a meat injector needle, inject each cupcake in several different spots with about 1/2 to 3/4-ounce of the mixture. Or, poke several holes in the top of each of the cupcakes with a 1/4-inch wooden skewer. Pour the milk mixture over each cupcake while they are still warm, filling each hole. Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight before icing.

For the Buttercream:

Preheat oven to 425F. To make the dulce de leche, pour the sweetened condensed milk into a glass pie plate and cover with foil. Place in a larger roasting pan where pie plate can sit flat. Pour hot water into the roasting pan to a depth of about halfway up the pie plate. Place in oven and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Stir until smooth. Place egg yolks in a medium mixing bowl. Stir the sugar, cornstarch, and salt together in a small, heavy saucepan. Whisk in the water first, then the dulce de leche and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 1 minute, whisking constantly. Remove from heat. Gradually whisk the dulce de leche mixture into the 2 egg yolks. Stir in the vanilla. Strain through a wire mesh strainer into a small bowl and set aside to cool completely. Beat the butter on high speed in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the cooled dulce de leche mixture. Beat in the 1 cup powdered sugar until smooth and spreadable.

Frost each cupcake with a generous amount of dulce de leche buttercream. Refrigerate any remaining buttercream for another use. Sprinkle each cupcake with toasted coconut.

Old-Fashioned Chocolate Cupcakes

375 degree oven

1/2 c (1 stick) butter, room temp
1-1/4 c sugar
2 large eggs, room temp
3/4 c flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c sweetened cocoa powder
1/2 c milk
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Beat butter until softened. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until well combined.

Measure the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder into a small sized bowl and whisk to combine. Measure out the milk and vanilla and stir to combine. Add about a third of the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar and beat to combine. Add about a half of the milk/vanilla and beat to combine. Continue adding, alternating between dry and wet and finishing with the dry.

Scoop batter into cupcake cups about 2/3’s full. Turn oven down to 350 degrees and bake cupcakes for about 22-25 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Tips: cheesecake

Cheesecake Tips and Techniques

Texture

Cheesecake's distinct texture relies on cheese blended with eggs and sugar, but it's the kind of cheese that informs the character of the cake.

Dense New York-style is made with cream cheese; lighter Italian with ricotta. (These distinctions are full of ironies: New York-style relies heavily on Philadelphia cream cheese, and what we think of as Italian is actually more Little Italy than Verona.)

Other cheeses can be used, such as Neufchatel (a form of cream cheese); cottage cheese; or fresh cheeses like fromage blanc, mascarpone and even tangy goat.

Texture varies from one step away from eating straight cheese to light and ethereal.

Mixing

Cheesecakes, unlike other cakes where beating air into the batter is key, suffer if over-mixed. For best results, have all the ingredients (cheese, eggs, liquids and flavorings) at room temperature before blending.

Cracking

The big bugaboo with cheesecake is cracking. Cheesecakes, like custards, rely heavily on eggs to set, which means they must cook gently and slowly. Otherwise the eggs puff, overcook and get grainy, then constrict when cooled, resulting in an undesirable split in your smooth cake.

The main trick with cheesecake is gentle, coaxing heat. Just as you want them to cook slowly, you also want them to cool gradually. Quick changes of temperature upset the structure of the cake, causing cracks. For a moister, creamier cake, turn off the heat when the center's still loose and let cool in the oven.

Many cheesecakes, like our classic one, are baked in a water bath (a pan of water) to moderate the temperature. Since water remains at a constant temperature, the cake sets slowly, resulting in a super-creamy cheesecake.

With richly flavored cheesecakes, like our peanut butter or chocolate ones, the same result can be achieved by baking slowly at low temperatures.

To prevent the cheesecake from cracking as it cools, run a thin knife around the edge of the cake as soon as it comes out of the oven. After chilling, remove the springform ring (but not the metal base).

A crack in your cheesecake is not the end of the world. Simply use it as a starting point when cutting your first slice.

Cutting Cheesecake

Dip a knife in warm water and wipe dry before slicing each piece.

Freezing

Because of the high fat content, most cheesecakes freeze well for up to two weeks if wrapped tightly in both film and foil. But cheesecakes with a high water content, such as our Fresh Cream Cheesecake or Passion Fruit Cheesecake, will become icy, so freezing is not advised.

Draining Fresh Cheesecake

Line a medium (about 8 inches wide) sieve, fine strainer or colander with a double layer of damp cheesecloth and set over a bowl. Cover and refrigerate.

Chocolate Eclair

Pastry:

1 c water

1 stick margarine or butter

1 c sifted all-purpose flour

4 eggs

Filling:

3 c milk

3/4 c sugar

1/2 tsp salt

6 tbsp all-purpose flour

3 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

Icing:

2 (1-ounce) squares chocolate

2 c sugar

1 c whipping cream

Preheat the oven to 400F. Heat water and margarine or butter to boiling point. Add flour and stir constantly until mixture is smooth and forms a ball when tested in cold water. Remove from heat and let cool.

Beat in 4 eggs, one at a time. Drop dough from teaspoon to form small eclairs onto greased cookie sheet. Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until light brown. Set aside to cool.

Prepare filling by combining milk, sugar, salt and flour; cook slowly until thickens. Add 3 beaten eggs and continue to cook until mixture is even thicker. Remove from heat, cool and add vanilla.
With a serrated knife, slice pastry puffs lengthwise, but not all the way through. Pipe custard mixture into the center. Melt chocolate for icing, add sugar and cream. Cook over medium heat until soft ball stage. Let cool and beat until smooth. Ice tops of the eclairs.