Brioche loaf: Rich, rich bread

Brioche is one of the richest bread in the world, with eggs and a lot (I mean a lot and a lot) of butter, it's not simple bread.
 

I love to bake it, but it makes make me feel guilty each time that I see the amount of the butter, haha. There are many recipes, more butter, richer brioche. This recipe is not too rich, the butter is about 50% of the flour's weight. You can go for more percentage of butter for richer dough. 
I think the best way to make brioche is using the stand mixer, as you don't have to use more flour to stop the dough from sticking but with your hand you will be lured to use it more and more ^^. The key for making good brioche is the temperature, keep the dough cool to prevent the butter to leak out from the dough and slow raising helps develop great flavour too.
You can eat it in many forms, plain, toasted, as a sandwich, make bread pudding or french toasted, delicious!

Brioche loaf

Make 12x4.5 inch loaf

7g ..................................... Instant yeast
70ml ................................. Milk
500g ................................. All purpose flour
10g ................................... Salt
24g ................................... Granulated sugar
6 ....................................... Eggs (small-medium size about 300g)
250g ................................. Unsalted butter, soft 
Egg wash
1 ........................................ Egg
1tbsp ................................. Water

Put flour, sugar, instant yeast into a bowl of stand mixer, whisk to combine.
Put salt into the bowl and whisk again.

Pour the eggs and milk into the bowl.

Mix with dough hook at medium speed (use a spatula to clean the side of the bowl from time to time).

Mix until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Start putting the butter into the bowl and mix until fully combine.

The dough will be very soft.

 Let the dough rise 1.30-2 hours at room temperature or overnight in the fridge.
The dough will be double in size.
Press lightly to remove the air then refrigerate for 1-1.30 hours more before shaping.

 When ready to shape the dough, remove the dough from the bowl and divide into 4 pieces (you will need more flour to prevent the dough to stick to your hand).

 Shape each dough into a ball and place in the prepared loaf pan.
Let the dough rise for 1.30-2 hours or until almost double in size.
Preheat the oven to 200C.

Brush with egg wash.
Put the dough into the oven and reduce the temperature to 180C.
Bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown.

Brioche loaf: Rich, rich bread 

Easy one bowl No Egg Chocolate Cake

Some people think that baking cake is difficult and required a lot of experience but the fact is it's easy.

I'm not saying that every kinds of cake is easy but there are many recipes that you can make with only one bowl ^^. This recipe is one of easy recipe, that you will love to bake and to eat. No need for any fancy ingredients or equipments, a bowl, a whisk and a spatula, that's all.
All you need is mixing all the dry ingredients together, add the liquid part, stir together, bake and now you get delicious chocolate cake. The special part of this recipe is there is no egg, so anyone who's allergic to egg can enjoy it too.
The cake is not deep chocolate taste, but you can make it more chocolately by using the whipped chocolate ganache for frosting the cake. Whipped chocolate ganache is not hard to make too, the key point is the ganache needs to be cold or it will be hard to whip. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or more but not until it turn solid) to make it cold enough.
For the decorating, the choice is yours, I have nut bar in the fridge so I use it for mine but M&M, grated chocolate or any kinds of chocolate candy that you like is great. Anyone who love light chocolate cake will love it esp. children.

No Egg chocolate cake

22x28cm pan 

140g ................................. Unsalted butter, melted and cool
350g ................................. All purpose flour
25g ................................... Cocoa powder
2tbsp ................................. Horlicks (malted milk powder)
1tsp ................................... Baking soda
2tsp ................................... Baking powder
1/4tsp ................................ Salt
300g .................................. Brown sugar
300ml ................................ Milk
150ml ................................ Vegetable oil
1tsp .................................... Vanilla extract
1package ............................ Reese's Nut bar

Whipped ganche
130g .................................. Dark chocolate, chopped if large
120g .................................. Whipping cream
60g .................................... Unsalted butter, soft

Preheat oven to 180C
Line 22x28cm pan with baking paper.

Put flour, cocoa powder, Horlicks, salt, baking powder and baking soda together. Whisk to combine.

Pour the brown sugar into the bowl, whisk to combine.

Pour melted butter, milk, vanilla extract and oil into the bowl, whisk to combine.

 Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan.
Bake for 35 minutes, or until the top spring back when touch lightly.
Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.

Make whipped ganache:

Put the chocolate into a bowl.
Boil the whipping cream by putting it into a microwavable jug and heat for 1-1.30 minutes (600w).
Pour into the bowl wait for 1 minute then stir lightly until fully melt.

Place the butter on top and stir lightly.

Stir until smooth, let the ganache cool then refrigerate for 1-1.30 hours.

Whip the ganache until firm peaks formed.

Chop the nut bar into small pieces.

Spread the whipped ganache over the cake and sprinkle the nut bar over the ganache.

Easy one bowl No Egg Chocolate Cake

Almond roll: Almond, and almond in many forms

 I know that I buy too much cookbooks ^^" but I never think that it will be enough, haha. As there are new chefs, new idea and new recipe everyday.

 I try to use at least 1 recipe from every book, well some books are so good, they make me use more than 1 and I'm so happy with them. I love to sit in my room and lost in the world of cookbook, it's fun to look at the old cookbooks when I didn't read them for a long time. 
Good recipe never been out of date, simple ingredients that we use still the same, great simple recipes give us joy and happiness every times. I just can't throw away any book even it's very old and magazines are the biggest problem, haha. But with more digital copy I think I will have less problems with them in the future. 
This recipe is an adaptation from one of my old cookbook, its simplicity is the best, the almond is the key flavour. It come in many forms, in powder when making the cake, turn it into a crunchy almond praline for covering the cake, in praline paste form for the butter cream, and liquor for sprinkle the cake. If you love nutty and caramel note you will love it for sure. 
This cake will be great companion with a cup of hot coffee ^^. 
*Note: the almond praline is more than you need for this recipe, but you will be happy to have them around, sprinkle over the ice cream is one of great ways for using it. 

Almond roll

Makes 25cm roll

3.................................. Eggs
80g ............................. Granulated sugar
20g ............................. Honey
40g ............................. Cake flour
40g ............................. Corn starch
40g ............................. Almond powder
30ml ........................... Milk

Almond praline
100g ........................... Almond dice
100g ........................... Granulated sugar
35ml ........................... Water
.................................... Pinch of salt

Butter cream
1 ................................. Egg
100g ........................... Granulated sugar
.................................... Pinch of salt
100ml ......................... Whipping cream
150g ........................... Unsalted butter

Frosting and filling
230g .......................... Butter cream
45g ............................ Praline paste

Syrup 
30g ........................... Simple syrup
1tbsp ........................ Amaretto



Make the almond praline:

Line the baking sheet with baking paper. 
Put both water and sugar into a medium saucepan, heat until 115C. Pour the almond dice and a pinch of salt into the saucepan, the remove from the heat.

 Stir until fully cover, then return to the heat and cook until the sugar caramelise. 

 Pour onto the prepared baking sheet, let it cool before using.

Make the almond sponge:
Preheat the oven to 210C.
Line 27x27 cm pan with baking paper.
Sift the flour, corn starch and almond powder together, set aside.

 Beat the egg and honey until foamy, slowly add the granulated sugar and beat until light in colour and triple in volume (ribbon stage).

 Fold the sifted flour mixture into the bowl, in 2-3 additions.

 Fold the milk into the batter.

 The mixture will be smooth.

 Pour into the prepared baking pan.
Bake for 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and place 1 large sheet of baking on top, let the cake cool completely.

Make the butter cream:

 Beat the egg with sugar in medium saucepan, at the same time heat the whipping cream in the microwave for 1 minutes (600w) or until boil.
Pour the hot whipping cream into the saucepan, stir all the time.

 Place the pan over low heat, heat until 83C (stir all the time).
Pass the mixture through a sieve and let the mixture cool.

 Cream the butter until smooth, then mix the butter with the custard.

 Weigh 230g of butter cream them mix it with praline paste.

 Sprinkle the syrup over the cake then spread the praline buttercream over the cake.

Roll into a log, refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Spread the praline buttercream over the cake, then cover the cake with almond praline.

Almond roll: Almond, and almond in many forms 

Good for you scones: Rice bran flour raisin scones

I got the rice bran flour from Kung Off (from King Rice bran oil company), and I really wan to use it ^^.

Rice Bran flour

The flour is very nutty, smell like toasted nut. It doesn't contain any gluten so it's a good choice for people who're allergic to gluten. Anyway for today, I think about using it in simple recipe by using rice bran flour instead of whole wheat flour in scones recipe. I use Shortening (I use non-hydrogenated shortening) in this recipe, and if you want you can use soy or almond milk instead of milk for non dairy version of this scones. 
When making scone, remember that you need to fold it rather than knead it or it will becomes tough. Let the scones rest on the baking sheet to cool slightly before moving as it's too crumble when hot.
Serve it with a cup of coffee is recommended ^^.

Rice bran flour raisin scones

Makes 8 scones

130g ..................................... Raisins
190g ..................................... All purpose flour
60g ....................................... Rice bran flour or whole wheat flour
2tsp ....................................... Baking powder
1 1/2tsp ................................. Baking soda
65g ........................................ Granulated sugar
1/2tsp .................................... Salt
140g ...................................... Shortening (I use non-hydrogenated shortening)
75g ..................................... Milk or soy milk 
1 tsp ................................... Lemon juice
............................................ Light brown sugar for sprinkle on the top of scones (optional)

I use this Shortening  (non-hydrogenated shortening).


Preheat the oven to 190°C.
Line the baking sheet with baking paper.
Mix the lemon juice with milk.

Sift the flour with baking powder and baking soda.
Put the flour mixture into the bowl with rice bran flour, sugar and salt, whisk to combine.

Put the shortening into the bowl, cut the shortening into the flour, then use your finger tip to mix until the mixture resemble small bread crumbs.

Pour the mil mixture into the bowl, use a spatula to press the mixture until dough form.

Pour the the dough onto the work surface, pat to smooth the top.
Place the raisins on the dough, and fold for 6-10 times.

Shape the dough into a long log (about 10 inch).

Cut into 8 triangles and place the dough onto the prepared baking sheet.
Brush with milk and sprinkle the top with light brown sugar (optional).
Freeze for 30 minutes.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the scones are golden brown.
Let the scones cool slightly before serving. 

Good for you scones: Rice bran flour raisin scones