Mini Pavlovas

Pavlova, a meringue dessert named after Russian ballet dancer, Anna Pavlova. You can read the complete history on Wiki. :)

Pavlova

3 egg whites
1 cup superfine sugar
1 tsp. white wine vinegar or fruit vinegar
1 tsp. cornstarch
1 1/4 cups heavy cream, whipped

Whip the egg whites until soft peak, then add the sugar and cornstarch with continuous whipping. Lastly, add the vinegar until it is stiff.

Pipe small discs with a small star or plain nozzle. Pipe one or two layers to dorm a rim around the edge. For larger nests use a large nozzle to create a thicker rim. Place the meringue in pans or on baking sheets lined with parchment paper for cooking.

Slowly bake at 210 degrees Fahrenheit for 1-3 hours, or leave at 140 degrees Fahrenheit for 5 hours, or 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 hour then turn off the oven and leave it inside to cool. It's up to you to choose guys.

When the baking is done, brush melted chocolate under and inside nests. Use either plain or white chocolate, depending on the decorative results you require.

Fill with cream and fruit no earlier than 1 hour before serving. I used mango on my pavlova.
Here's the actual finished product.

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Just feel like writing

Hi guys! There's nothing really special on this new post. I just feel like writing and express my feelings. Now, I feel that no one is interested in helping me to improve my baking skills, I've tried joining some forums to get help from other people but I think no one is willing to help me. I also tried commenting on some post for me to get noticed but still, nothing happened. It comes to the point that Google has warned me that I'm spamming, but really am not. I hope this post will get noticed by people who are expert or knowledgeable in pastry and bread making. I really need your help guys. I really want to grow and improve myself in pastry and bread making. Thank you guys and God bless us all.

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Chocolate Nut Torte

Cake
cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup soft brown sugar
4 eggs, separated (separate yolk and whites)
1 1/3 cups bittersweet chocolate, grated and chilled
1 3/4 cups hazelnuts, finely ground
1/4 cup ground almonds
1/4 cup superfine sugar

Grease and line a 9 inch round pan. Cream the butter and sugar until soft and light, then beat in the egg yolks. Stir in the chocolate and nuts.
Whisk the egg whites until they stand in soft peaks, then gradually whisk in the superfine sugar to make a meringue. Fold this into the nut mixture. Turn into the pan and bake a 300 degrees Fahrenheit for about 60 minutes.
Fill this sweet cake with plain whipped cream to balance the sweetness. 

For the Icing:
300 gms. semisweet chocolate chips
150 gms heavy cream

Put the chocolate into a bowl and place it in a pan with water and heat it until the chocolate has melted, then pour in the cream and mix it until well mixed.


Coat the cake with ganache and put some hazelnuts, or white chocolate in a loose lattice patter if desired.

                                                       Photo credits here

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Classic Cake (Sachertorte)

Some cakes never lose their appeal, no matter how old the recipe or how good the competition. For these classic cakes, select the best ingredients, use light mixtures and fillings that are not too sweet. Guys, I recommend this recipe because it has light taste and not to sweet.

Chocolate Sponge
1 cup semi sweet chocolate
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup superfine sugar
5 eggs, separated (separate the yolk and whites)
1/2 cup cornstarch, sifted

Grease and flour an 8 inch round cake pan. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of hot, but not simmering, water, then set aside and allow to cool. Cream the butter with half of the sugar until the mixture is pale and soft, then beat in the egg yolks gradually.
Whisk the egg whites until they stand in soft peaks, then gradually whisk in the remaining sugar to form a soft meringue.
Fold the melted and cooled chocolate into the creamed mixture. Then fold in the meringue and cornstarch int two or three alternating batches.\
Turn the mixture into the pan and spread evenly. Bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 40-45 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn out on to a wire rack and let cool.


For the chocolate icing:
3/4 cup powdered sugar
2/3 cup water
10 1/2 oz. semi-sweet chocolate

Make a syrup using the sugar and the water. Add the chocolate pistoles and whisk over moderate heat until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth.When the chocolate sugar syrup has reached the correct consistency, remove the pan from the heat, knock out the air by tapping the pan on the work surface then use immediately.

Coating and Icing Sachertorte
Once baked, cooled and sliced into two layers, the next step is decoration.

Sandwich the layers together with red-currant jelly. Coat the entire cake with melted jelly and pour Chocolate Icing over. Spread quickly with a warm spatula, then tap the rack on the worktop to settle the icing in a smooth and even layer. Let set. Put it in the chiller for about 30 minutes. And serve.

Here's the actual image guys. Enjoy! :)
(Photo not mine)

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Short Pastries

What are short pastries? Short pastries have a crumbly, slightly crisp, texture. Rich pastries contain a lot of fat, so are very short, with a fine crumb texture and melt-in-the-mouth quality. A small amount of water or liquid is used to bind the pastry, ensuring it does not fall apart. This gives it a certain crispness, acquired also by baking at a fairly high temperature. Make sure you work in a cool environment when making short pastries and use chilled ingredients. Handle the pastry lightly and as little as possible. Heavy handling results in heavy, or tough, pastry.

Pate Sable
A rich biscuit-like crust, Pate Sable is sweeter that Pate Sucree. It may be used as a crust for tarts, or for making plain dessert cookies.

1/2 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 small egg, beaten
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

Cream the butter and powdered sugar until soft and pale, then stir into the mixture to make a smooth dough. Wrap in a plastic wrap and chill for about 30 mins.



Pate Sucree
This lightly sweetened pastry is enriched with additional egg yolk and flavored with vanilla. Use for tarts and all sweet pastries.

1 2/3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup superfine sugar
2 egg yolks
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Sift the flour into a bowl and rub in the butter. Stir in the sugar. Use a fork to lightly whisk the egg yolks and vanilla, then add them to the dry ingredients and mix to form a short dough. Press together lightly and chill for 30 minutes.



Pate Brisee
A plain short pastry, this is the French equivalent of the classic Short Crust Pastry and is widely used for fruit tarts and baked dumplings.

1 2/3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tsp water

Sift the flour and salt into a bowl, then rub in the butter. Mix in the egg and enough water to bind the ingredients to a firm dough. Roll into a smooth ball to remove form the bowl and wrap and chill for 30 minutes before use.

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Custards and Creams

Many of the most delicious fillings and ice creams begin as simple dairy ingredients that are transformed into sublime custards or luxurious creams. When making these classic custards, controlling the temperature is essential for perfect results.


Creme Chantilly
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

Whip the cream with the powdered sugar until the cream stands in soft peaks. Flavour with the vanilla extract or whatever you desire. Use or serve at once.


Creme Patissiere  (pastry cream or custard cream)
2 1/4 cups fresh mill
1 tsp vanilla extract
5 egg yolk
6 tbsp superfine sugar
1/4 all purpose flour
1 tbsp cornstarch

Heat the milk and vanilla extract gently until just boiling. Remove from the heat and cool slightly. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar until pale and thick, then stir in the flour and cornstarch. Gradually stir in the milk and vanilla into the egg and flour mixture. Pour the custard back into the saucepan and heat gently, beating continuously until the mixture thickens and boils. Boil for 1 minute, stirring continuously. Pour into a large bowl or shallow dish and cover with plastic wrap or parchment paper. Set aside to cool. Beat until smooth before using.


Creme Anglaise (English cream)
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 cups milk
6 egg yolks
5/8 cups powdered sugar
6 tbsp heavy cream

In a saucepan, pour the milk and vanilla and bring slowly to a boil. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar until pale and thick. Pour in the milk and vanilla into the eggs, stirring continuously. Pour the custard back into the saucepan, and stir over low heat until the mixture begins to thicken and coats the back of the spoon. Do not allow to overheat or boil, or the eggs will curdle. Remove from the heat and stir in the cream. Strain the custard. Make about 2 3/4 cups.

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Pastry Sauces (easy to do)

A sweet sauce may be an essential feature of a dessert or it can be an optional element that completely changes the image of a dish.

Butterscotch Sauce
3/4 cup unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar
2 tbsp corn syrup
1/3 cup heavy cream

Melt the butter, sugar, and syrup over low heat. Stir in the heavy cream and heat until boiling. Remove from the heat and serve immediately.



Chocolate Cream Sauce
1 1/2 cup heavy cream
9 oz. semisweet chocolate or high-quality white chocolate

Heat the cream in a small saucepan until hot, but not boiling. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate, broken into squares. Stir until the chocolate has melted and combined with the the cream. Serve warm or cold.


Coffee Sauce
2 1/4 oz. roasted coffee beans
2 1/4 cups milk
2 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp sugar
1/3 cup raisins
1/4 cup white rum

Before making the sauce, heat the roasted coffee beans in the milk until just boiling, then set aside until completely cold. Blend a little milk with the cornstarch and sugar, then heat the remainder until very hot but not boiling. Strain the milk, discarding the coffee beans, and continue as above. A little rum or coffee liqueur may be added; soak the raisins in thw white rum rum for 30 minutes or longer and add to the sauce.



Brandy Butter
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup brandy

Cream the butter and the icing sugar together until pale and soft. Gradually beat in the brandy and the chill until firm.

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Leche Flan (Filipino Dessert)

Leche flan, it's almost like creme caramel but made in the Philippines, in short, this is our local version. It's a creamy and rich caramel that contains caramel on top. We have also our very own molder for this, and this is what we called, "llanera" it is an oval shaped metal. This kind of dessert is famous and is always present in almost all occasions here in the Philippines. Every family that is celebrating a feast or birthday, they always offer this yummy dessert. Let's do it guys! Enjoy! :)


1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water

350 ml evaporated milk
250 ml condensed milk
8 pcs egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract

First step:
Heat the water and sugar until you form a golden brown mixture or a caramel. Then, put some of the caramel to the molder that you're using and coat the inside walls and let it dry.

Second step:
Whisk the egg yolk while gradually pouring the condensed and evaporated milk. Add the vanilla extract.
Do not over mix it, because the mixture will be to foamy. When it's done, strain the mixture twice to get rid of the lumps. After straining it, you can now pour it into the molder with caramel. You can cook it in an oven for 30-40 minutes, but you have to put it in and baking tray with water. If you don't have oven, you can use a steamer instead and cook it for about 40 minutes to 1 hour. You will know when the leche flan is done, when you use a toothpick or a knife, you just have to stitch it and if it's clean, then it is well done. Let it cool, and when you're done cooling, turn it upside down in a plate.

Here's my own decorated leche flan. Comments welcome guys! :D

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