【白汁雞皇】Chicken a la king

以前很喜歡吃KFC， 但自從聽見那些負面的新聞，講述那些雞的來源，很多人就不敢吃啦。
外面吃的，很多時候不知道成分有些甚麼，所以還是自己做的來得安心，也更好吃啦。
這一次，做了KFC的雞皇飯。

【白汁雞皇】Chicken a la king

Ingredients:

2pc chicken fillet

2 potato diced

1 carrot diced

1 onion sliced

1 pack mushroom halved

3 pc bacon diced

400ml chicken stock

100ml cream

bay

pepper

salt

oregano

(opt: cheddar cheese)

Procedures:

1. Marinate the chicken with pepper, salt, olive oil and oregano.

2. Make the sauce, first fry off the bacon.

3. Once some of the bacon fat has been rendered, add in the onion to fry till it softens.

4. Add in the rest of the vegetable. (you may add in the mushroom later)

5. Add in the stock and cream, when the liquid comes to a boil, turn down to medium fire and cook until the potato has softened.

6. On the other hand, heat up a pan. Sear the chicken, once its cooked through, let it rest.

7. Serve by placing the sliced fillet on the sauce. Best served with pasta or rice.

【炸馬鈴薯球】Mini Potato Croquettes

前陣子去了澳門，吃了葡國餐廳很出名的馬介休球，一下子愛上。鬆脆的外皮，裡面又熱又軟，真的很好吃。這次在家裡，買不到馬介休，只好退而求其次，弄出一個變奏版馬鈴薯球。

【炸馬鈴薯球】Mini Potato Croquettes

Ingredients:

3 large potato boiled and mashed

1 yolk

1 can of anchovy/ 1/2 can tuna

cheddar cheese

pepper

salt

Breading: flour, cornstarch, eggwash

Procedures:

1. Mix the potato with all the ingredients. 

2. Form into mini balls and dip into the breading.

3. Deep fry and serve hot.

【奶油酥餅】Shortbread biscuits

Shortbread biscuits

Ingredients

150g plain flour

100g butter

1 Tbsp honey (opt)

lemon zest or vanilla extract (opt)

50g confectioners sugar

Simple ratio sugar: butter: flour (1:2:3)

Procedures:

1. Rub the butter into flour and sugar.

2. Refrigerate for 20min for the dough to relax.

3. Press into a square pan, slice up the dough and bake at 180C for 20min until golden and flaky. 

Notes: can vary flavors such as adding in rosemary

【蛋白霜餅】Meringue

暑假轉眼就過，沒想到中學美好的生涯這樣又過去了一年。
先上場的是熱身作，又少材料，又簡單的蛋白霜餅，為忙碌的開學打開完美的序幕。

【蛋白霜餅】Meringue 

Ingredients:

2 egg white

50g icing sugar

(1tsp cocoa powder/ 1 tsp matcha for other color)

(1tsp vanilla extract for extra flavor)

Procedures:

1. Whisk the egg white and add in sugar gradually. 

2. Whisk until firm peaks form.

3. Put the meringue into a piping bag and pipe out shapes of your liking.

4. Bake for 3 hrs at 100C and turn up to 140C for 1 hr. 

(Baking time depends on the size of the meringue and actual humidity)

When the meringues are crispy and dried throughout, it is done.

很多很多的巧克力 【巧克力布丁】 Self-saucing chocolate pudding

最近迷上一個英國的youtube channel。一班年輕人，走在一起，希望更多年輕人能走進廚房，學會煮食。他們有趣中，也讓人對煮食加深了認識。看完他們的食譜，更讓我食指大動，忍不住立刻嘗試。

【巧克力布丁】 Self-saucing chocolate pudding

是真的流心阿

Recipe adapted from Sortedfood

• 120 g melted butter
• 25 ml milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 85 g self-raising flour
• 25 g cocoa
• 120 g caster sugar
• 50 g melted dark chocolate

Sauce:

120g brown sugar

1.5 tsp cocoa

240g water

Procedures:

1. Whisk eggs+sugar >wet ingredients > fold in the dry ingredients

2. Put all the sauce ingredients into saucepan and warm until all combined.

3. Pour the batter into the baking tray first, and the pour sauce on top.

4. Bake at 180C 35min

Note: Its quite magical that the batter will eventually rise and switch places with the sauce

Its best served hot over vanilla ice-cream, once it cools, the sauce becomes sticky and less gooey.

As a typical Asian, Im still not too impressed with the amount of sugar and the sweetness in the pudding. Nevertheless, its still satisfying as a once in a while treat.

First trial on cookies 【巧克力曲奇】Chocolate Chip Cookies

This was my first attempt to make chocolate chip cookies. Sadly, the texture was not what I was aiming for. The whole piece was crispy throughout.

【巧克力曲奇】Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients:
130g butter
50g white sugar
50g brown sugar
30g corn syrup ( I omitted)
1 Tbsp peanut butter ( I omitted)
200g flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
chocolate chips


Procedures:
1. Cream butter and sugar then the dry ingredients.
2. Bake at 180C for 10min

References for Basic ratio:
60g butter
60g sugar
120g flour
50g egg

【檸檬蛋白派】lemon meringue tart

【檸檬蛋白派】lemon meringue tart

Ingredients:
Tart base- basic short crust pastry dough:
250g flour
150g butter
90g sugar
1 egg

Filling- lemon curd:
3 lemon juice and zest
2 tsp cornstarch
200g sugar
3 eggs
150g butter

Meringue:
2 egg whites
100ml sugar
pinch cream of tartar (opt)

Procedures:
1. For the tart base, put everything into food processor and blend until combined.
2. Refrigerate for 1hr allowing it to fully rest before using.
3. Blind bake the base in greased tart pan at 200C for 15min.
4. For the lemon curd, whisk the eggs with sugar in a bain marie until light and fluffy.
5. Add in the lemon juice and mix until combined.
6. Pour the mixture in the pan and stir, cooking under low heat.
7. Add in cornstarch for the curd to thicken.
8. Lastly add in butter making the mixture glossy.
9. Mix the egg whites with sugar till stiff peaks form, put aside for later use.
10. For the assembly, pour the curd into tart case and refrigerate, allowing it to set for at least 2hr.
11. Put the meringue on top of the tart and flambe till brown bits form.

Notes:
Apart from using a blow torch, putting the tart under the broiler may also achieve similar effect.

老爸生日 【芝士蛋糕】New York Cheese Cake

第一次為家人生日做蛋糕，感覺挺特別的。吃的，不是名貴的酒店蛋糕，而是當中下的心思。在這個物質豐富的社會裡，兒女把零錢省下，為父母買一個蛋糕也許一點也不難。
但更讓人高興的，是雖然因工作晚歸，但回來看到客廳的燈仍然開著，而子女手中捧著的，是對自己滿滿的心意。

【芝士蛋糕】New York Cheese Cake

Ingredients: (8 inch)
Base:

250g digestive biscuits

125g melted butter

Cheese cake:

500g cream cheese

100g cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 lemon juice and zest (depend on liking)

135g white sugar

4 eggs

Procedures:

1. Crush the biscuits into crumbs and mix with the butter

2. Press the crust mixture into the tin base and refrigerate until later use.

[Biscuit and butter at the ratio of 2:1. Actual amount may be adjusted to own liking)

3. Whisk softened cream cheese with sugar.

4. Whisk in eggs one by one.

5. Add in cream and other flavorings.

6. Pour onto the base and bake in a water bath at 180C 45min and refrigerate for 2 hours or above

[Overnight tastes best as the texture hardens]

送自己的一朵花【玫瑰蘋果撻】 Apple Rose Tart

第一次看到網上有人做這款蘋果撻已經深深的愛上。

這個空閒的下午，毫不猶豫便動手做起來。材料簡單，成品卻非常的漂亮。

不期然的想起，有時候愛情，簡簡單單的，卻能美麗動人。

一味追求，卻忘掉初衷。

驀然回首，然後才發現自己想要的，從來不是那一百朵，一千朵驚豔的玫瑰。想要的，從來只是傻男孩的一點心意。那怕只是一朵手褶的紙花，卻是無價。

原因別無他，只因有些時候，有些事，簡單就是美。

【玫瑰蘋果撻】 Apple Rose Tart

Ingredients:

1pc Puff Pastry (cut into rectangular strips)

1 Apple (sliced)

Cinnamon 

Sugar

1 egg

Procedures: 

1. Fry off the sliced apple with cinnamon and sugar.

2. Layer the apple slices onto the puff pastry. Apple slices should only cover half of the pastry, and each apple slice should overlap each other.

3. Fold the bottom part of the puff pastry upward so as to secure the apple slices.

4. Roll the strip until a rose forms.

5. Egg wash the pastry and bake at 180C for 20 min (until golden)

*Dust the roses with icing sugar to serve.

Egg wash may be applied throughout the rolling process or layering apple process if necessary to stick the pastry.

永遠的孩子最愛 【布朗尼】Chocolate Brownie

【布朗尼】Chocolate Brownie

Ingredients (9-inch round- Meyer cake pan)
140g butter
200g melted dark chocolate (50%-72%)
25g milk (opt)
200g sugar
2 eggs
60g all-purpose flour
60g cocoa
chocolate chips
1tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla essence

Procedures:
1. Butter+ Sugar
2. Add in eggs one by one
3. Stir in melted chocolate.
4. Add in dry ingredients > vanilla extract
5. Bake at 180C 25-30min (Personally 25min)

Notes: The brownie has a crispy crack top but it was quite crumbly and slightly too sweet.
Cakey texture

從基礎開始 【簡易巧克力蛋糕】Standard Chocolate Cake

人大了，反而會常常說要回歸本源，探索事情的基礎。
小時候的急功近利，導致根基不穩，到後來才發現自己「周身是刀，卻沒有一張鋒利」
求學如此，學習音樂，運動也是如此。
心急，最後才發現快了一時，耽誤了一世。

小時候數學看似簡單，隨隨便便就應付了。到後來升上高中，才發現自己一竅不通。根基的不穩，讓我要在考文憑試前，從基礎開始再溫習一次。所以說，快了一時，但事後卻要用加倍的時間，心機，去彌補。

今天，回歸基本，從全蛋法開始，展開蛋糕之道。

【簡易巧克力蛋糕】Standard Chocolate Cake

這個蛋糕像布朗尼和普通巧克力蛋糕的混合體。

Ingredients: (8inch round pan)

200g melted unsalted butter

115g plain flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

100g melted dark chocolate

40g cocoa powder

1tsp vanilla extract

a pinch of salt

150g white sugar (original recipe calls for 220g)

3 eggs

6oml milk/ water (I used milk)

Procedures:

1. Whisk sugar with eggs until its pale and creamy.

2. Stir in liquid.

3. Fold in all the dry ingredients.

4. Bake at 160C for 50min

5. Off the oven and leave the cake in there for an extra 15min.

剩餘物資的應用 【麵包布丁】Bread pudding

麵包每次買一大包，總是吃了幾天都吃不完。擺放久了，更會變硬，難以入口。
真是雞肋，吃之無味，棄之可惜。要好好利用，除了磨成麵包糠，也可以做布丁。

【麵包布丁】Bread pudding

Ingredients:

1/3 loaf of baguette/ 4-5 slices of white bread

1 eggs

200ml milk

100ml cream (milk n cream ratio may be changed)

10g butter (opt)

35g sugar

1 pinch cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla essence

Raisins

Procedures:

1. Warm the milk and cream.

2. Temper the eggs and make a custard.

3. Soak the bread pieces with the custard and let it sit for 15min

4. Bake at 200C for 1h in water bath.

Notes: Dont let the liquid cover the bread when baking. Leaving some bread bits pointing out from the liquid allows crispy bits to form and thus create textural differences. 

【蜂蜜蛋糕】Castella

【蜂蜜蛋糕】Castella

Ingredients: (yields one loaf tin)
4 eggs
115g sugar
30g honey
25g milk
100g plain/ cake flour

Procedures:
1. Whisk the egg with sugar until pale and fluffy.
2. Warm the milk and dissolve in the honey.
3. Add the liquid to the egg. Sieve in the flour, and gently fold it in.
4. Bake at 170C 25min

Notes:
Many people claim that refrigerating castella cakes will yield better flavor. I think it really depends on personal taste as after chilling, the flavor intensifies but the texture will become less fluffy.

慢工出細課 【杏仁小圓餅】Macaron

杏仁小圓餅一般只會出現在昂貴的櫥窗裡。每次看到，都會讓我不期然地想，小小的一塊餅乾，卻比得上蛋糕的價格。然而，它卻把我深深吸引住，讓我不禁想去踏足這個甜品界裡，讓多少人聞風喪膽，退而卻步的領域。

杏仁小圓餅的製作過程難度在於圓餅邊不起眼的裙子。薄薄的一層裙邊，卻注定了甜品的成敗。只有耐心地讓餅乾先風乾，小心的工序，耐心的等候，才能做出讓人會心微笑的幸福小圓餅。

杏仁小圓餅 Macaron

Recipe adapted from Flavors bakery

35g egg white (around 1 large egg white)

25g white sugar

30g almond powder

55g icing sugar

2-3 drops of coloring (I mixed 1 tsp of cocoa with 1 tbsp of water)

Method:

1. Sieve the icing sugar and almond powder twice.

2. Whisk the egg white until stiff peaks form. Gradually adding in sugar while whisking.

3. Slowly fold in the dry ingredients and add in 2 to 3 drops of coloring

4. Put the meringue mixture into a piping bag and pipe onto a tray lined with baking sheet.

Small round circles piped out.

5. Use a hairdryer to dry off the surface of the macaroon until the surface darkens and looks dry. When you touch the surface, it should not stick to your hand.

(You may also choose to keep the macaroon in a enclosed room with a dehumidifier on for 2-3 hrs)

It should be kind of dry on the surface

6. Bake in the oven at 140C for 15min. Cool and serve.

Chocolate Filling:

100g dark chocolate (70%)

100g whipping cream

1. Melt the chocolate and add in cream in a bain marie. 

2. Let it return to room temperature until it cools to the right consistency.

3. Sandwich it between two pieces of macaroon.

Went across Masterchef cookbook:
Ratio as given:
Sugar: Almond (1:1) ~90g
2 egg whites, 1.5Tbsp water (to be mixed with the sugar)