Cinnamon Buns, my love

                   

Oh yes, Im so back!  Of course, I haven't forgotten my own blog.  I didn't forget my love for cooking and baking either. But my life has been so eventful that I was out of my element these past few months. The events had overtaken the mundane. The last post that I was able to publish was in November last year; December was so all over the place as my darling little boy and I spent Christmas with my family in the Philippines. Just when I was  about to go back to blogging, a very unfortunate mishap happened to me at work: I shattered my elbow in February this year. Without  having to go into full details, after two 3-inch pins inserted then after two (2) months removed from my elbow,  two surgeries, some wires and a song, I reckon I am on my road to recovery. I would probably need another two (2) months to get my tip-top form back, but Im okay with that. There are days in those dreadful months that my confidence dipped the lowest trough, there are days that I endeavour with my physio/rehab exercises like there are no tomorrows. It could have been worse. I always view the glass half full. But my life is seemingly in peaks and troughs these days. What really broke my heart even more, like stabbing some more my already bleeding heart, is that I couldn't bake nor cook. What a way to rub it in huh! I have reached the bowels of the earth. 

But today is different. Writing this post seems cathartic for my creative juices to overflow. Im in the move and prowling like a tigress in the wildernes. Hehehe. My darling little boy thinks that Im restless once again. He sensed that my artistic side needs to be satiated. And so in the coming months, his wallet will be in dire strait as I will expend this combustion of inner love for art and being creative. And thus spending loads of caching-caching to be able to do that. And of course, I will bake and bake and cook and cook to make up for the lost time. He said Im back to my full form and old self once again. I say, a new lease in life maybe. Give it another month or two to get my old form back but Im back alright and indeed.

source: adapted from Peter Reinhart, The Bread Baker’s Apprentice

Makes 8-12 large or 12-16 smaller buns

6 1/2 tablespoons (3.25 ounces) granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

5 1/2 tablespoons (2.75 ounces) shortening or unsalted butter, room temperature

1 large egg, slightly beaten

1 teaspoon lemon extract or zest

3 1/2 cups (16 ounces) unbleached bread or all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons (.22 ounce) instant yeast

1 1/8 to 1 1/4 cups (9 to 10 ounces) whole milk or buttermilk, room temperature

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

1/2 cup (4 ounces) cinnamon sugar (6 1/2 tablespoon granulated sugar plus 1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon)

1 cup raisins

1. In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the sugar, salt and shortening on medium-high speed. Whip in the egg and lemon extract until smooth. Then add the flour, yeast, and milk. Mix on low speed until the dough forms a ball. Switch to the dough hook, and increase the speed to medium, mixing for approximately 10 minutes, or until the dough is tacky but not sticky. Lightly oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to cover it with oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap.

2. Ferment at room temperature for approximately 2 hours, or until the dough doubles in size.

3. Mist the counter with spray oil, and transfer the dough to the counter. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin, lightly dusting the top of the dough with flour. Roll it into a rectangle about 2/3 inch thick and 14 inches wide by 12 inches long for larger buns, or 18 inches wide by 9 inches long for smaller buns. Brush melted butter over the dough then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the surface of the dough.  Sprinkle on the raisins and gently press them into the cinnamon-sugar. Roll the dough up into a log, creating a spiral as you roll. With the seam side down, cut the dough into 8 to 12 even pieces, each about 1 3/4 inches thick for larger buns; or 12 to 16 pieces each 1 1/4 inch thick for smaller buns.

4. Line 1 or more sheet pans with baking parchment. Place the buns approximately 1/2 inch apart.

5. Proof at room temperature for 75 to 90 minutes, or until the pieces have grown into one another and have nearly doubled in size.

6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F with the oven rack on the middle shelf.

7. Bake the buns for 20 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown.

8. Cool the buns in the pan for about 10 minutes, and then glaze the tops. Remove the buns from the pans, and place them on a cooling rack. Wait at least 20 minutes before serving.

Spaghetti con le polpette

Or Spaghetti with meatballs

One of my favourite films of all time is Malèna. I happened to be flicking through the tv channels when a film, which was just showing the title at that time, caught my attention. I cant remember now why I was so drawn to the movie; it could have been the song that they were playing at the time or the cinematography. As soon as the actors started talking...aaaah italiano. The film didnt have any subtitle and to be honest, since they were talking so fast, I couldnt understand a thing or two. I  decided to hang on in a few and before I knew it, I have watched the film from beginning to end.

The film was beautiful, it reaches out to you, it was melancholic and nostalgic despite not I understanding anything. Obviously the movie underpins on the universal theme of L-O-V-E; love for humanity, faithful love of the husband, and love from the little boy to Malèna. Monica Belluci, the beautiful italian actress who played Malèna was at her element. Her luminous beauty sometimes outshone the movie in general. The movie also went back to basic, and didn't really need words to tell a story. But in hindsight, I could have wanted to be able to translate italian to english  when the boy said in italian, from the last scene of the film, "Of all the girls who asked me to remember them, the only one I remembered is the one who did not ask."

When I was reading the wikipedia (click here) about the movie, after I caught it again on telly with subtitles this time, I found out that there was really no raving reviews except for the cinematography and original score (Damn! the song and the cinematography were the reasons that got me after all. Hehehe.) The plot was simple and  revolved around Malèna's beauty and her punishments for being beautiful. How vain huh? Hehehe.

Spaghetti con le polpette or spaghetti with meatballs is quite a simple dish. It is also a beautiful italian dish. And is made out of L-O-V-E. Its beauty exudes exuberance and zest. I never thought that you can actually taste exuberance and zest on any dish but this dish has them and more.

This pasta dish is also my little boy's latest favourite and couldn't stop talking about or gobbling it for that matter, pun intended. If that weren't enough testament of how simple and beautiful this dish then I don't know what is.

This dish is definitely a keeper and I suppose I will be whipping it again tomorrow and again and again for the rest of our lives...

Buon appetito! Salute! :)

 *Snagged from Mama's Italian Cookbook
Serves 6

Ingredients

400 g/14 oz beef mince

1 onion, finely chopped

1 egg

4 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

plain flour, for dusting

5 tbsp virgin olive oil

400 ml/14 fl oz passata

2 tbsp tomato puree

400g/14 oz dried spaghetti

salt and pepper

6 shredded fresh basil leaves and freshly grated parmesan cheese, to garnish

Place the potato in a small saucepan, add cold water to cover and a pinch of salt, and bring to boil. Cook for 10-15 minutes, until tender, then drain. Either mash throughly with a potato masher or fork or pass through a potato ricer.

Combine the potato, mince, onion, egg and parsley in a bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread out the flour on a plate. With dampened hands, shape the meat mixture into walnut-sized balls and roll in the flour. Shake off any excess.

Heat the oil in a heavy-based frying pan, add the meatballs and cook over a medium heat, stirring and turning frequently, for 8-10 minutes, until golden all over. Add the passata and tomato puree and cook for a further 10 minutes, until the sauce is reduced and thickened. Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to the boil. Add the pasta, bring back to the boil and cook for 8-10 minutes, until tender but still firm to the bite.

Drain well and add to the meatball sauce, tossing well to coat. Transfer to a warmed serving dish, garnish with the basil leaves and grated Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

And so we segue to baking...After posting the Phad Thai entry, Red velvet cupcakes might appear off tangent to the Asian cooking themes that I have been indulging myself with of late. But this simply goes to show that I remain true to my blog site's name: NoSetMenu. We dance to the rhythm of life, right? Free flowing; not restricted; thinking out of the box. :) Plus, there is a plethora of recipes out there waiting to be had  and a whole gamut of dishes to enjoy in gastronomic proportions.

I was asked to bring a plate of goodies by the office to celebrate Pink Ribbon Day last week. October was Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Pink Ribbon Day aims to raise funds for research for prevention and cure. Celebration is seemingly an oxymoron as there is nothing to celebrate about breast cancer. But an awareness drive is indeed integral; there is no cure to breast cancer. At least not yet. For now, an early detection will save the lives of our mothers, sisters, girlfriends and of course ours. I have done my own fair share of mamograms and ultra sounds, Im going to hit the BIG 40 in a few years but Im quite pedantic about health this early. And like good ole John Mayer would say, "your body is a wonderland". Hehehe. Not quite. Its more like what my little boy would always tell me that I treat my body like a temple. And he is absolutely right. Our body is the only one we have. Cloning is not an option. Hehehe. What am I saying? Im blabbing yet again...

And so,  I brought red velvet cupcakes to the office and pinned a pink ribbon on my bosom.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups (125 grams) sifted cake flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoons (10 grams) regular or Dutch-processed cocoa powder

1/4 cup (57 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cups (150 grams) granulated white sugar

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup (120 ml) buttermilk

1 tablespoon liquid red food colouring

1/2 teaspoon white distilled vinegar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Cream Cheese Frosting:

8 ounces (227 grams) cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup (60 grams) confectioners' (icing or powdered) sugar, sifted

2/3 cup (160 ml) cold heavy whipping cream (double cream) (35-40% butterfat)

Red Velvet Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and line 12 muffin tins with paper cupcake liners.

In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until soft (about 1-2 minutes). Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Add the egg and beat until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.

In a measuring cup whisk the buttermilk with the red food colouring. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour.

In a small cup combine the vinegar and baking soda. Allow the mixture to fizz and then quickly fold into the cake batter. 

Working quickly, divide the batter evenly among the 12  muffin cups and smooth the tops with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 18 - 23 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcakes comes out clean.

Cool the cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes and them remove from pan. Let cool completely before frosting. Either spread the frosting with a knife or offset spatula, or use a large 1M Wilton open star decorating tip to pipe the frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting: In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the vanilla and confectioners sugar and beat until smooth. Using the whisk attachment, gradually add the heavy cream and whip until the frosting is thick enough to pipe. Add more sugar or cream as needed to get the right consistency.

Makes 12 cupcakes.

Thai Fried Noodles (Phad Thai)

Thailand is copping the wrath of the great flood. Central Bangkok is going to brace the onslaught of  THE raging water from the Uplands anytime soon...But stating that opening salvo is in no way of trying to make you lose your appetite due to the seriousness of the problem. My heart goes to the whole nation. Because I am truly enamoured by their culture especially by their food. Thai dishes remain one of my favourite culinary tastes, if not my favourite. Having said that, I also don't want to leave Italian dishes out of the equation. I have loquaciously claimed that I was once an Italian raggaza in my past life. Hehehe.

Phad Thai, Tom Yum soup and Glutinous Rice with Mango, in that particular order, are my top three (3) picks. I could eat them every day and you will never see me complain. I have been meaning to cook Phad Thai for so long as I can remember and yet only managed to cook it for the first time today. Truth be told, Phad Thai is everything I dreamt of and more. And cooking Phad Thai is my claim to fame. I have arrived. Lol!

Preparation time: 25 minutes

Total cooking time: 10-15 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients:

250g thick rice stick noodles
2 tablespoon oil
3 gloves garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons chopped red chillies
150g (5 1/2 oz) pork, thinly sliced
100g (3 1/2 oz) peeled raw prawn (shrimp) meat, chopped
1/2 bunch garlic chives, chopped
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 teaspoons soft brown sugar
2 eggs beaten
90g (1 cup) bean spouts
sprigs of coriander (cilantro)
40g (1/4 cup) roasted peanuts, chopped

1. Soak the rice stick noodles in warm water for 10 minutes or until they are soft. Drain and set aside. head the oil in a wok or large frying pan. When the oil is very hot, add the garlic, chillies and pork; stir constantly for 2 minutes.

2. Add the prawn meat to the wok. Cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Add the garlic chives and drain noodles to the wok; cover and cook for another minute.

3. Add the fish sauce, lime juice, sugar and eggs to the wok. Toss well with tongs or two wooden spoons until heated through.

4. Sprinkle with sprouts, coriander and peanuts. Traditionally served with crisp fried onion, soft brown sugar and chopped peanuts on the side

Garlic and Thyme Prawns

There is value on skimming through junk mails; while others may deem junk mail as rubbish, we could on the other hand be unearthing a diamond in the rough here. Such is the case of the recipe today. I got the inspiration from one of the inserts of a sunday newspaper; and an exclusive sneak peek of Donna Hay's 10th birthday collector's edition through several recipes was being unraveled right before my very eyes. 

And as I have not been showcasing my non-sweet creations, for lack of better term, as often as I should, I might as well take this opportunity to put the spot light on a scampi dish. :)

6 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon of olive oil
60g butter softened
1 bunch of thyme (leaves only)
1 teaspoon dried chili flakes or cayenne
400-500g of green or tiger (raw) prawns

Preheat over to 180C. Place the garlic on a baking tray, drizzle with oil and roast for 30 minutes. Increase temperature to 220C. Remove the garlic cloves from their skins, place in a bowl and mash until smooth. Add the butter, thyme, chilli, salt and pepper and mix to combine. Place the prawns on a baking tay, top with the garlic butter and cook for 6-8 minutes or until cooked through.

Whoopie pies with peanut butter filling

My heart sank when last weekend at the central business district (CBD) of Melbourne I found myself in an abandon unit space which was once the cul-de-sac  of my favorite book store, Reader's Feast. My favourite 20-year old book shop has decided to close shop until further notice. In fact this is not the first time nor the first bookstore to do so in the past  four (4) months in Australia, closing shop, that is. Border's has closed its business due to slow (or poor) sale. I would like to think that this is due to the influx of electronic gadgets these days and therefore books can be read electronically nowadays. I sincerely hope that this generation doesnt forget the culture of book reading; It is also almost inconcievable to think not having book stores around, as Melbourne is known to be UNESCO City of Literature, mind you. My heart throbs just to think of how stories were woven together to fit a 15x22  500-page binder and how writers are awe-inspiring  as they breathe life into the fictional characters. My eyes well up sometimes on how words were beautifully crafted into proses and phrases. And how stories transport me to places I have never been to and how they leave an indelible effect in me. Call me a nerd or a book worm, if you may, but I simply couldnt imagine a life without books to accompany my idle hours, aside having my little boy and family of course.

Reader's Feast holds a special place in my heart as well; the first cookbook that my little boy has bought for me - Silver spoon (famous italian cookbook translated into English) - was from THAT bookstore. I am a privileged reading programme member as well.  All the books I bought and owned since living in Australia were well and truly from THAT bookstore.

I googled and alas Reader's Feast is going to open its door before the year ends....until that time, I shall remain hopeful.

And so here are some just as awe-inspirng and best selling whoopie pies to cave in for while waiting for the Reader's Feast Bookstore to open its doors for me and while you are held captivated by the words woven in and stories coming to life out of your favorite pocket books;

Chocolate Cake-Cookie Rounds;

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup well-shaken buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 large egg

Preheat oven to 350°F (180 C or 160 C fan-forced). Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a bowl until combined. Stir together buttermilk and vanilla in a small bowl.

Beat together butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes in a standing mixer or 5 minutes with a handheld, then add egg, beating until combined well. Reduce speed to low and alternately mix in flour mixture and buttermilk in batches, beginning and ending with flour, scraping down side of bowl occasionally, and mixing until smooth.

Spoon  mounds of batter (you can use one rounded tablespoon or pipe them on your baking sheet) about 2 inches apart onto 2 buttered large baking sheets. Bake 11 to 13 minutes. Cookies will be done when they spring back when gently touched. Be careful not to over-cook. Transfer with a metal spatula to a rack to cool completely.

For peanut butter filling;

2/3 cup natural, creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup butter, softenend

3/4 cup confectioners' sugar

Beat all ingredients together.

David Lebovitzes Devil's Food Cake

As I write this, Melbourne and the whole region of Victoria is going overdrive and has gone mad. The Australian Football League (AFL) Grand Finals has just started. And Geelong Football Team has just scored its first goal within the first 10 seconds of the game.

I baked this cake last night but it was a conscious decision on my part to write the blog entry while the game is ongoing to distract me. I couldn't bear the suspense. Its killing me. Argh! And as I write this, I could feel my heart racing wild and can hear the throbbing of my anxious heart...

To say that the whole Melbourne echoes my state is an understatement. The world stops in this side of town and half the population trooped to the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) and the other half have their eyes glued on their television to watch the best of the best in wild abandon.

Australians love their sports, and to say that they are passionate about it yet again is an understatement. Sports fill their waking hours, literally hogging the limelight anytime and anywhere.

I will always love sports; watching and playing anything under the sun. I might not be "that" good playing anything sporty, but I love to sweat them all out. My little boy say I show more testosterone while watching a game; I would stand up from the bleachers, raise my fist and utter expletives. Hahaha! It came at no surprise that this Grand Finals is eating me slowly...I couldnt watch it. Its too much for me.

Australian Football League or to be more politically correct, Australia rules Football is a league of its own. I have to issue such statement lest I suffer the onslaught of hardcore fans if I compare AFL with American Football. AFL Footballers don't wear all those body cover-ups and its not European football either because its quick and extremely physical (click here to understand the sport). The only common denominator, for layman, is one has to kick  a goal.

I also wanted to introduce you to the latest favourite food blogger/writer of mine, David Lebovitz. The Devil's Food Cake is his version. I have baked several in the past and his version is one of the best thus far.

But my mind and heart is somewhere else at the moment, I couldn't seem to concentrate due to the bloody Grand Finals!

David Lebovitz deserves a blog entry beautifully crafted (as if. hehehe) like his food creations. And so I will write about him in a few.

For the meantime,  let me distract myself out of this quandary; I reckon I'll go and do some cleaning. The suspense is really killing me.

And by the way, I'm for Geelong, no matter what. GO CATS!


*Snagged from http://www.davidlebovitz.com/

For the cake:

9 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1½ cups cake flour (not self-rising)

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon baking powder

4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1½ cups granulated sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

½ cup strong coffee (or water)

½ cup whole or low-fat milk

For the ganache frosting:

10 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

½ cup water (or cream)

¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter

1. Adjust the oven rack to the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 F degrees.

2. Butter two 9″ x 2″ cake pans and line the bottoms with circles of parchment paper.

3. To make the cake layers, sift together the cocoa powder, cake flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a bowl.

4. In the bowl of a standing electric mixer, or by hand, beat together the butter and sugar about 5 minutes until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated. (If using a standing electric mixer, stop the mixer as necessary to scrape down the sides to be sure everything is getting mixed in.)

5. Mix together the coffee and milk. Stir half of the dry ingredients into the butter mixture, the add the coffee and milk. Finally stir in the other half of the dry ingredients.

6. Divide the batter into the two prepared cake pans and bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

7. To make the frosting, melt the chopped chocolate with the water (or cream) in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally until melted. Remove the bowl from the pan of water.

8. Cut the butter into small pieces and whisk them into the chocolate until completely melted and the ganache is smooth. Cool until spreadable, which may take about 1 hour at room temperature.

To frost the cake:

Run a knife around the inside of each of the cakes which will help release them from the pans. Tilt one cake out of the pan, remove the parchment paper from the bottom and invert it back onto a cake plate. Spread a good-sized layer of icing over the top. Top with the second cake layer and spread the top and sides with the remaining icing as decoratively as you want.

POSTSCRIPT: GEELONG WON. GO CATS! :))