Brandy Mixed Fruits Biscotti

Time flies, it's September now! Getting busier towards year end. What is your plan end of this year's holidays? We, Chinese will celebrate the lantern festival (mid autumn festival) in a week time then our Indian friends will be celebrating their Deepavali soon, and then Christmas! Well, school term break is going to start in November and I bet all parents are planning to go somewhere for this holidays. I'm planning to go somewhere relaxing, out from the city life...haha!

Back to the post, here's the biscuits I always love to bite with my cup of coffee. These crunchy Italian cookie has been my all time favourite since many years ago. I've searched for the recipes from many bloggers, books and finally got this from the web (improved). I've done this before (almost similar) long time ago but this time I've added some liqueur to enrich the flavour.

Ingredients:
1.5 cup dried mixed fruits (such as raisins / cherries / orange peels)
*soaked in 2 cups brandy for at least 1 day
3 cups plain flour
2 tsps baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 tbsps butter
1 cup sugar
4 eggs

Method:
~ Drained the mixed fruits. Set aside.
~ Preheat oven at 180'C.
~ Sift flour, baking powder and salt together.
~ In an electric mixer at medium speed, beat butter with sugar till fluffy.
~ Mix in eggs, one at a time.
~ Reduced speed to low, slowly add in mixed flour then follow by the mixed fruits.
~ On a lightly floured surface, halve the dough and shape each dough into logs (flatten logs to 1/2 inch thick)
~ Brush logs with beaten eggs .
~ Bake for 35 minutes at 180'C. Transfer to wire rack to cool for about 20 minutes.
~ Cut each log on the diagonal into 16 to 18 pieces (shown above)
~ Transfer pieces to prepared tin laying them on sides. Bake for 8 minutes; flip.
~ Bake further (for another side of cookies) for another 8 minutes.
~ let cool until crisp.

Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week. Or kept in the fridge to restore the crisp.
These crunchy cookies can be served with some melted chocolate. Finely chopped 120g semi sweet chocolate in a heatproof bowl and place it over a saucepan of simmering water. Once the chocolate has melted, remove from heat. Add another 60g chocolate and stir until it has completely melted and is smooth and glossy. Slightly cool the melted chocolate and dip in the biscotti and served.

Cheers!

Super Moist Chocolate Cake

Back to my cake post...;p

If you are a chocolate lover, this is a good one for you. Smooth and rich with chocolate cream...VOILA! A super moist chocolate cake for the beginning of the week. 

A fudge cake covered with chocolate cream and mouth watering moist texture of the cake, this is so far a good one after all the chocolate cake I've tried.

It has occupied the first position in my top 10 best chocolate cake now!

 Ingredients for the cake:

1 1/3 cups warm water
3/4 cup Belgium cocoa powder

1 3/4 cup cake flour
2 tsps baking powder
1/4 tsp fine salt

3/4 cup butter
1 1/4 cup castor sugar
3 eggs (size B)

Method:
~ Combine cocoa powder with warm water. Set aside.
~ Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl.
~ Beat butter and sugar till light and fluffy.
~ Add in eggs, one at a time.
~ Add dry ingredients mixture alternately with cocoa mixture. Always start and end with dry ingredients.
~ Pour into prepared tin. (3 small rectangular loaf tins or a 9" round pan)
~ Bake at 180'C for 30 minutes or until done.

Ingredients for the frosting:
110g Hersley's cooking chocolate bar (semi-sweet with 65% cocoa)
4 tbsps cornflour
1 tbsp condensed milk
1 1/2 cup fresh milk
2 tbsps butter

Method:
~ Mix the above ingredients in a saucepan and cook over a double boiler till spreading consistency.

Cool the cake and cover with frosting. Best serve with a cup of long black (my favourite)..haha!
Don't worry about the sugar or the condensed milk used here, the sweetness of the cake is just nice.

Cheers!

Plain Buttery Buns

The weather is bad these few days. There were thunder storms and heavy rain yesterday, not a good one though. And now there is lightning and I think there'll be a heavy pour later. Well, although the weather is not good but it doesn't really bother me. I still have the mood to bake. Warm bread fresh from my oven really warms my day..:)

Yes, this week's post will be bread. "No more cakes!!"..the eaters have been complaining about it..haha! Alright then,  plain buttery buns it is! 

How do they look? Beautiful huh?! These babies are so soft and fluffy!!

Plain Buttery Buns (makes 16 minis)
Ingredients:
1 tbsp dry yeast
150ml milk
1 tsp fine salt
4 tbsps castor sugar
500g bread flour
4 eggs
200g butter (diced)

Method:

~ Dissolve yeast in milk with salt and sugar. Use an egg whisk to beat until bubble forms.

~ Add in flour and eggs. Use a dough hook and knead for about 5 minutes at high speed.

~ When a dough forms, add in butter and continue to knead at high speed for another 8-10 minutes.

~ Try to stretch the dough (as shown above). When the dough is elastic, cover and let prove for 1.1/2 hours.

~ Preheat oven at 180'C.

~ Punch down, and shape into small balls.

~ Place on the prepared tray and brush with beaten eggs.

~ Bake at 180'C for 20 minutes. 

These buns are so good when serve with jams or you can eat it plain with a cup of your favourite drink.
my daughter loves it, she gobbled up 2 once they are out from the oven.

Cheers!