Peanut Butter Filled Chocolate Cupcakes With Chocolate Ganache

I don't normally bake cupcakes for the simply reason that they can be quite "sinful", especially my kind of cupcake. I don't bake them plain. My kind of cupcake needs to have a filling. And loads of chocolate bars...It can really be rich you know. And to remain true to this, here is yet another example; with filling of peanut butter goodness ensconced by delectable chocolate and topped with frosty chocolate treat. What else can you ask for?

*Snagged from my favourite cupcake blog: http://cupcakeblog.com/

Chocolate Cupcakes
24 regular cupcakes / 350 degree oven

5.4 ounces dark chocolate or 3/4 of a 200 gram bar of Valrhona 61% cocao
22 tablespoons butter (yes, nearly three sticks of butter!)
1-3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
6 eggs
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
4-1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder, unsweetened
1-1/2 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt

1. Melt chocolate and butter over a water bath.
2. Add sugar and stir, let mixture cool for 10 minutes.
3. Beat in an electric mixer for 3 minutes.
4. Add one egg at a time, mixing for 30 seconds between each
5. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and a pinch of salt into the mixture and mix until blended.
6. Scoop into cupcake cups and bake at 350 F for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.


Peanut Butter Filling

4 ounces or 1/2 package of Philly cream cheese
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2-3 tablespoons milk

1. Beat cream cheese and peanut butter until combined.
2. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until combined.
3. Add the milk and beat until combined.

Chocolate Ganache

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate
5 ounces semisweet chocolate
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar

1. Chop chocolates and transfer into a heat proof bowl.
2. Heat cream until bubbles form around the edge of the pan, pour cream over the chocolate.
3. Let sit for 1 minute then stir until combined.
4. Add butter and vanilla and stir until combined.
5. Transfer to the bowl of an electric mixture and let cool for 10 minutes.
6. Sift powdered sugar into the mixture and beat until combined.
7. Continue to beat with an electric mixer until lighter in color and creamy.


mid-assembly

Assemble
1. Using a small pairing knife, cut off the top of the cupcake in the shape of a cone. Flip the top over and cut off the cone.
2. Fill the cavity with a teaspoon or so of peanut butter filling.
3. Replace top.
4. Frost with ganache.
5. Decorate as you wish.

Home-made "Over the top" David's Pizza alla Arby's

I have perfected baking this type of pizza to a T. While my little boy came up with the toppings idea during our first pizza night, I have refined well and truly the recipe. In fact I could no longer remember how countless times I made this pizza for my little boy.

I have over-emphasized the importance of Less is more in making your own pizza. Do not overload your pizza with toppings. Let me say that again, don't overload lest your pizza gets too soggy and lest the Neo-Napolitans turn in their grave. A true pizza is simple. and it is the simple truth.

Making my own pizza in fact has a significant and deeply seated meaning in my baking life as well. I baked because in my mind I am continuing the legacy of the "greatest cook known to man", whom I simply call "my dearest Mommy". 

Mommy has whipped up the most complexed menu one could ever imagine, Mommy in her glory and all, simply liked pizza. It was her favourite food in the whole wide world. 

For someone - whose magic wand in the kitchen can whip up the most complexed or creative dish ever known - to favor pizza as her favourite food is simply beyond me and hard to fathom in epicurean world. :)

Ingredients:

1 dough recipe 

Click here for the dough recipe and other instructions

Tomato-based:

3 tablespoons of olive oil

1 can whole tomatoes

1 small can of tomato paste (pizza flavour)

2 teaspoons of dried oregano

a good dash of salt

Toppings:

8 pieces of salami

6 pieces pepperoni

4 small anchovies in oil

4 slices of marinated artichoke

50 grams (or less) chopped black olives

100 grams mushroom

2 handful of grated mozzarella

1/3 cup of grated parmesan and strong cheddar combined

Preheat your oven to 220 degrees C (200 C for fan-forced oven)

Tomato based sauce:

Heat up pot with olive oil, when oil is already hot, stir in all ingredients in medium-low heat. Continue cooking for 30 minutes while stirring it every now and then to avoid tomato sticking on the pan. Let cool.

Toppings:

Spread tomato sauce. Dont put too much.

Arrange Salami, pepperoni, anchovies, black olives and mushrooms on top of dough

Sprinkle with a handful of mozzarella and 1/3 cup of other cheeses

Bake for 15 minutes then remove pizza from oven to sprinkle another handful of mozzarella on top. Bake for another 5 minutes.

Devil's Food White-out Cake

I intentionally didnt' include the recipe of Doris Greenspan's Devil's Food White-out cake on my "A Celebration" blogspot for the simply reason that the recipe is quite lengthy - as I am a tad lazy to toil over from one computer key to the another.  But the power of internet is far and wide these days - with a little bit of common sense - I was able to research and extract the entire recipe from the internet. Thus, cut and paste made my day. But a disclaimer I will issue; while the recipe was cut and paste and lifted from Dorie Greenspan's cookbook, the pictures and the act of baking are originally mine, and mine alone. :)

Nothing can be more fitting than to celebrate a momentous event in your life than to bake this fudgy, gooey and marshmallowy chocolate cake. This is such a celebration.

And while the recipe may be daunting at first glance, the recipe takes you through every minute detail of baking galore.

This cake will never fail to amaze you. And trust me, I have found the cake for my family dinner on Christmas eve this year. 

Source: Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours p. 247-9 

Makes 12 servings 

For the cake 

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour 

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 

3/4 tsp baking soda 

1/2 tsp baking powder 

1/4 tsp salt 

1 1/4 sticks (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature 

1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar 

1/2 cup sugar 

3 large eggs, at room temperature 

1 tsp pure vanilla extract 

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled 

1/2 cup buttermilk or whole milk, at room temperature 

1/2 cup boiling water 

4 ounces semisweet or milk chocolate, finely chopped, or 2/3 cup store-bought mini chocolate chips 

For the filling and frosting 

1/2 cup egg whites (about 4 large) 

1 cup sugar 

3/4 tsp cream of tartar 

1 cup water 

1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract 

GETTING READY: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 8-x-2-inch round cake pans, dust the insides with flour, tap out the excess and line the bottoms with parchment or wax paper. Put the pans on a baking sheet. 

TO MAKE THE CAKE: Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. 

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 until soft and creamy. Add the sugars and continue to beat for another 3 minutes. Add the eggs one by one, beating for 1 minute after each addition. Beat in the vanilla; don't be concerned if the mixture looks curdled. Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in the melted chocolate. When it is fully incorporated, add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk, adding the dry ingredients in 3 additions and the milk in 2 (begin and end with the dry ingredients); scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed and mix only until the ingredients disappear into the batter. At this point, the batter will be thick, like frosting. Still working on low speed, mix in the boiling water, which will thin the batter considerably. Switch to a rubber spatula, scrape down the bowl and stir in the chopped chocolate. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans and smooth the tops with the rubber spatula. 

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the pans at the midway point. When fully baked, the cakes will be springy to the touch and a thin knife inserted into the centers will come out clean. Don't worry if the tops have a few small cracks. Transfer the cake pans to a rack and cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes, unmold them and peel off the paper liners. Invert and cool to room temperature right side up. (The cooled cake layers can be wrapped airtight and stored at room temperature overnight or frozen for up to 2 months.) 

When you are ready to fill and frost the cake, inspect the layers. If the cakes have crowned, use a long serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion to even them. With the same knife, slice each layer horizontally in half. Set 3 layers aside and crumble the fourth layer; set the crumbs aside. 

TO MAKE THE FILLING AND FROSTING: Put the egg whites in a clean, dry mixer bowl or in another large bowl. Have a candy thermometer at hand. 

Put the sugar, cream of tartar and water in a small saucepan and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, cover the pan and boil for 3 minutes. Uncover and allow the syrup to boil until it reaches 242 degrees F on the candy thermometer. While the syrup is cooking, start beating the egg whites. 

When the syrup is at about 235 degrees F, begin beating the egg whites on medium speed with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer. If the whites form firm, shiny peaks before the syrup reaches temperature, reduce the mixer speed to low and keep mixing the whites until the syrup catches up. With the mixer at medium speed, and standing back slightly, carefully pour in the hot syrup, pouring it between the beater(s) and the side of the bowl. Splatters are inevitable—don't try to scrape them into the whites, just carry on. Add the vanilla extract and keep beating the whites at medium speed until they reach room temperature, about 5 minutes. You should have a smooth, shiny, marshmallowy frosting. Although you could keep it in the fridge in a pinch, it's really better to use it right now. 

TO ASSEMBLE THE CAKE: Put a bottom layer cut side up on a cardboard cake round or on a cake plate protected by strips of wax or parchment paper. Using a long metal icing spatula, cover the layer generously with frosting. Top with a second layer, cut side up, and frost it. Finish with the third layer, cut side down, and frost the sides and top of the cake. Don't worry about smoothing the frosting—it should be swirly. Now, cover the entire cake with the chocolate cake crumbs, gently pressing the crumbs into the filling with your fingers. 

Refrigerate the cake for about 1 hour before serving. (If it's more convenient, you can chill the cake for 8 hours or more; cover it loosely and keep it away from foods with strong odors.) 

A celebration...

Today is Mom and Dad's 40th wedding anniversary...

My love abounds for these two human beings who are larger than life...

Mommy is now an angel who watches over us all the time...

We are blessed to have daddy as healthy and gorgeous as ever

I must have done something good in my past life to have been given this opportunity to become their daughter. Their first born. I couldn't thank the good Lord enough.  

Opera Cake, Pistachio Opera

I couldn't be happier when finally I had this beautiful layered cake ready for my photo op. And I can only thank dailydelicious blogspot for this wonderful recipe. I have truly upped the ante and succumbed to challenging myself yet again. However, I told my little boy that after baking this opera cake, I'll take a sabbatical leave from baking those highly laborious and process intensive creations.  This is yet another classic example of a process intensive cake. Whew! But I tell you now, the satisfaction I got after baking this cake is surreal. 

I couldn't believe I have created these sweetlings (for lack of better term) as I am a firm believer that I am no better than anyone else - everyone can cook and bake - what probably sets me apart (and some of my friends. Hehehe) is that I persist to tread unchartered territory - nothing is impossible if you persist. And I persisted that I can take on the challenge of creating this wonderful, ethereal french dessert - Opera Cake. And as life is a work in progress, and as we don't sit on our laurels, we continue to tweak and twist things along the way, why not make the classic Opera cake into Pistachio Opera cake instead, Im sure dailydelicious couldn't agree more...:)

I had eaten this cake several times in the past but the name always escaped me for some reason until my little boy and I stumbled upon this opera cake one fateful afternoon in one of the many quaint french wannabe cafes in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam across the Opera House. How fitting huh?! That day struck a cord in the baker in me, someday Im going to make this Opera Cake.

So here I am...

Lifted by the pages of http://dailydelicious.blogspot.com/

Joconde Biscuit
use 24x34cm sheet pan

TPT* (pistachio)......... 125g
Almond powder.......... 20g
Egg............................... 80g
Cake flour................... 16 g

Meringue
-Egg whites................ 75 g
-Sugar......................... 16 g

Butter.......................... 13 g

Filling ganache
Dark chocolate.......... 50g
Milk chocolate.......... 6 g
Whipping cream....... 40g
invert sugar
or honey .................... 8 g
Butter........................ 6 g

Pistachio buttercream
Pistachio paste........ 40g
Butter.......................165g
Italian meringue ....30g
Pate a bombe..........40g

Base chocolate
Dark chocolate.......... 60g
Oil .............................. 7.5g

Glazing ganache
Dark chocolate.......... 100g
Whipping cream .......170 ml

Simple syrup
Sugar .......................... 50g
water........................... 50g


*TPT is the mixture of nut and icing sugar in equal weight.

Start by making the Joconde:

Preheat the oven to 200 °C line the pan with baking paper.

If using the ground pistachio, just mix it together with the icing sugar to make the TPT.
Or you can ground the pistachio with the icing sugar.

Mix the TPT, almond flour and egg together with the hand mixer until smooth, mix in the flour and set aside.
Meanwhile, melt the butter, and set aside.


Beat the egg whites and sugar until stiff peak form.

Fold the meringue into the nut and egg mixture until fully combine.
Fold the warm melted butter into the mixture.


Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan and bake for 8-15 minutes.


When cool cut into 3 pieces.

Make the filling ganache:


Put the whipping cream into the pan and boil over low heat.
Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and stir until the chocolate melt.


Put the butter and the invert sugar into the ganache and stir until combine.

Make the pistachio butter cream:

Start by making the Italian meringue:

Egg white........... 30 g
Sugar.................. 60 g
Water ................ 10 ml


1. Put the sugar,water in a thick based pan, and place over a moderate heat and stir until it boils
2. When the syrup temperature reaches 110 °C beat the egg whites until stiff
3. When the syrup temperature reaches 118°C slowly whisk it into the egg whites in a thin stream taking care not to let it run onto the whisk
4. Continue beating until completely cold.

Making the Pate a bombe:

Egg yolk.......... 30 g
Sugar............... 45 g
Water.............. 16 ml


1. Put the sugar,water in a thick based pan, and place over a moderate heat and stir until it boils
2. When the syrup temperature reaches 110 °C beat the egg yolks until pale.
3. When the syrup temperature reaches 120°C slowly whisk it into the egg yolks in a thin stream taking care not to let it run onto the whisk
4. Continue beating until completely cold.
The Italian meringue and the pate a bombe.


Beat the Pistachio paste until soften, add the butter and beat to combine.
Put the 30g of Italian meringue and 40g of ใPate a bombe into the butter mixture and beat to combine.
Note: if the color is too pale add some green food coloring.

Make the base chocolat:

Melt the chocolate, then add the oil, stir to combine.
Place one sheet of cake wrong side up , pour the chocolate mixture over and put the cake into the fridge until harden.

Assemble:

Before assembling the cake make the simple syrup by putting the water and sugar into a small pan and boil over medium heat until the sugar dissolve then let it cool.

When the chocolate on the base is harden, flip the cake right side up and sprinkle with syrup.

Spread the buttercream over the cake, then place another sheet of cake and sprinkle with the syrup. Put the cake into the fridge until the buttercream harden.


Spread the filling ganache over the cake, then place another sheet of cake and sprinkle with the syrup. Put the cake into the fridge until the ganache harden.


Spread the buttercream over the cake, then put the cake into the fridge until the buttercream harden.

Make the glazing ganache:


Bring the cream to boiling point in a small saucepan. Remove form the heat, pour into the chocolate, allow to stand for 1 minute, then stir until smooth.


Pour the ganache over the buttercream, then put the cake into the fridge until the ganache set (it won't harden).


Cut the side of the cake, then cut into pieces.
Decorate with the ganache, then serve.

Rosemary & Olive Oil Focaccia

Today, the weather was incredibly lovely. Who would have thought that I would have my a/c turned on while driving home from work in the middle of winter. The weather bureau said that today was the hottest day in the middle of winter in 26 years! It was 17 degrees centigrade! And mind you, I would rather have it anytime of the day than the expected 10 degrees at this time of the year. And so like the sunshine today, I was brimming with hope that today is a tell-tale sign that winter is not going to be icy cold after all. Tough luck. Or a matter of speaking too soon?

I couldn't understand in the past why Melburnians are rightfully obsessed about the weather. Much  to my chagrin, I would exhibit the same attitude after living here for quite some time now, uttering "What's the weather gonna be like today? in the same breath.

This side of town is as unpredictable as having four (4) seasons in a day; be ready to have an umbrella, sunnies (sun glasses), thick coat, light weight coat, a pair of boots, and a pair of havaianas in your vehicle. It is quite ordinary to go past winter at 6am, spring at 10am, summer at 2pm and autumn at 6pm. And the vicious cycle goes on the day after yet again. I have learned the trick of the trade - layer your clothes. At this time of the year, I have at least 4 layers of clothes, "jacket on, jacket off" depending on the so-called season in a day.

I suppose you learned to adapt; to fit into the mold to survive. 

And this story my dearest friends doesn't have any relation whatsoever to my focaccia food entry. LOL!  

Having said that, if I were given the chance to have my own bakery or patisserie, this Rosemary & Olive Oil Focaccia will show its formidable force and its constant presence is too hard to ignore amongst the spread of breads, pastries and cakes. And I hope its going to be a best seller. Because it is absolutely good.

Just like my hope that winter this year, is not going to be icy cold. Tough luck!

*Lifted from the pages of http://happyhomebaking.blogspot.com/

Rosemary & Olive Oil Focaccia
(make one small loaf)

Ingredients

250g bread flour
3.5g instant yeast
1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary, plus extra for sprinkling
1/2 tablespoon sea salt, plus extra for sprinkling
137.5 ml water
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

Method:

Combine flour, yeast rosemary and salt in a mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the water and oil. Mix with hand to form a soft dough.
Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for 8 ~ 10 mins until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Shape in to a ball and place in an oiled mixing bowl, cover with cling wrap and leave to rise for 1 hour or until double in bulk.
Knock back the dough on a lightly floured surface and roll out to form a round. Press the dough into a 20cm (8") round pan. Cover with cling wrap and leave to rise for 1 hour.
Using your fingers, press indentations over the dough. Cover with cling wrap and leave to rise for a final 30mins until well risen.
Sprinkle dough with a little sea salt, drizzle with a little oil and scatter over some rosemary.
Bake in a preheated over at 200degC for about 25mins until risen and golden.
Cool on a wire rack and serve warm.